Annastacia Palaszczuk hits back at critics while on holidays on Amalfi Coast

The Queensland Premier has been accused of taking too much leave at a time when the state is battling multiple crises.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has hit back at critics scrutinising her work ethic while she is on holiday.

Tensions are boiling over in the state as residents struggle under the weight of youth crime and cost-of-living crises.

Despite being on holiday in Europe, the Premier has been in the spotlight, as rumblings emerge of an internal leadership struggle within the Labor Party.

In a jarring report released by The-Courier Mail on Wednesday, the Premier was accused of spending more time on holidays than she has in parliament this year.

By the time Ms Palaszczuk returns from her trip to the Amalfi Coast on September 11, she will have taken 37 days of leave compared with 25.5 days in parliament.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk hits back. Picture: NCA NewsWire

The Premier was forced to shield herself from photographers earlier this week after they tracked her down at the Royal Continental Hotel in Naples and journalists demanded answers as to why she was on holiday while the state was in crisis.

Clearly frustrated, Ms Palaszczuk turned to social media to hit back at the critics.

“I am on leave. Everyone is entitled to leave,” she posted to Facebook on Wednesday morning (AEST).

“I ask that the media respects my privacy.”

The Premier is on holidays in the Amalfi Coast and won’t return until September 11. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Glenn Campbell

She advised that Deputy Premier Steven Miles was acting as premier in her absence before she returned to the state on September 11.

Mr Miles came to Ms Palaszczuk’s defence earlier this week, mirroring the sentiments of her social media post.

“Holidays are planned and you go ahead with those plans regardless of what might have happened in the week of parliament,” he told Sunrise on Monday.

“Annastacia works hard, she’s entitled to have a holiday.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles defended the Premier’s decision to take leave. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

He also denied any claims of a leadership challenge within the Labor Party.

“I understand there’ll always be chatter, there will always be rumours and gossip,” he said.

It’s not the first time Australians have taken aim at a leader for taking holiday leave during a crisis.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison was famously papped on a family holiday in Hawaii while the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/20 raged on back home.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also caught heat for being absent while central NSW residents battled catastrophic floods.

He was representing Australia at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.