Political insider’s dish on Annastacia Palaszczuk’s downfall

If you’re wondering where it all went wrong for Annastacia Palaszczuk, a major clue can be found in the words she chose yesterday when announcing her resignation.

OPINION

For those wondering where it all went wrong for Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, a major clue can be found in the words she chose yesterday when announcing her resignation.

In a moment that should’ve been about laying the groundwork for her legacy and attempting to convey stability within the party, ensuring a continuity of leadership that might give Labor a chance in hell of winning the next election, Palaszczuk opted to cement herself as the victim.

“If you were wondering, I turned my mind to this when I was trying to have a holiday with my partner,” she sulked.

For those familiar with Palaszczuk and how she thinks and operates, this bitterness-laced line nicely summed up how Labor has gotten itself to this point.

“Everyone deserves a break,” she added.

Annastacia Palaszczuk on holiday in Naples in Italy with her partner Dr Reza Adib. Picture: John Nguyen / JNVisuals

Absolutely they do. There’s no question.

But a premier with their finger on the pulse, who understands the electorate and their mood, who’s politically savvy and willing to sacrifice their own comforts, would’ve made vastly different choices.

In the midst of a crippling cost-of-living crisis and while facing yet another damaging scandal – this time in the form of a youth justice disaster made worse by her ham-fisted and ill-considered policies – Palaszczuk chose not to take a brief holiday at home.

She could have gone on a trip to Cairns or Hamilton Island but instead chose not to support her state’s crucial tourism sector, which she left to bleed almost to death during Covid and in the aftermath, and for much longer than necessary.

No, she and her rich boyfriend flew first class to the uber-posh and billionaire-favoured Amalfi Coast in Italy for a few weeks.

The premier was never too far from a red carpet. Picture: Getty

The premier was never too far from a red carpet. Picture: Twitter

Annastacia Palaszczuk made the most of the trapping that came with her office. Picture: Supplied

She didn’t even tell her most senior colleagues that she was off, according to reports.

Did she miss the brouhaha surrounding Scott Morrison and his Hawaiian jaunt at the worst possible time? I suspect she simply didn’t care.

Palaszczuk operated under the assumption that because she had done the undoable by winning the unwinnable election nine years ago, that she was invincible.

People loved her, she was sure. Deep down, they still wanted her, she figured, and they’d let her do whatever she pleased. But that period of grace was long gone.

People were pissed off – and in growing numbers – and she simply couldn’t see it.

When announcing her resignation on Sunday, she claimed to have pondered her future while on that luxe Italian holiday back in September, and then finalised her decision on Wednesday.

If that’s true, then once again she’s just demonstrated how shonky a political operator she is.

A common criticism of the premier was that she was more interested in parties than policy. Picture: Josh Woning

A common criticism of the premier was that she was more interested in parties than policy. Picture: David Clark

On Saturday, less than 24 hours before she pulled up stumps, one of Palaszczuk’s closest friends, the Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath, fronted the media to insist her boss wasn’t going anywhere.

D’Ath launched a scathing attack on some of the premier’s fiercest critics – powerbrokers within the party who she slammed as being “old, retired blokes” who knew nothing about how politics works these days.

Yesterday, before she bailed, another friend and long-time colleague, Sports Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, was also wheeled out to rubbish talk of an imminent exit, saying responding to the speculation was a “waste of time”.

Whether through incompetence or a lack of care, Palaszczuk let two trusted loyalists make fools of themselves by continuing to insist nothing was wrong, even though she’d apparently long ago made up her mind.

If we believe her timeline, she knowingly hung them out to dry. She approved their media appearances knowing they’d very quickly be proven wrong.

She either lied to her friends or she lied to the public.

Dr Reza Adib and Annastacia Palaszczuk at the TV Week Logies.

Reza Adib and Annastacia Palaszczuk at the Magic Millions race day. Picture: Luke Marsden.

Someone should’ve advised the premier to pose for fewer photos at parties and major events.

The truth is that Palaszczuk hadn’t considered resigning in September, nor had she made the decision to quit last week.

As recently as Thursday, she was absolutely convinced that she was safe, that she could hold off internal pressure to quit, and that she could win back voters, despite her approval rating sinking lower than that scratched out by former premier Campbell Newman.

As The Courier-Mail reports today, she was told her time was up on Friday by an unelected Labor powerbroker, the powerful union boss Gary Bullock.

Why did she hang on so long in the face of overwhelming evidence that it would do no good?

“She wanted to go to Paris [for the Olympics] next year,” one senior Labor figure told me. “Honestly, I believe that’s a big part of it. She loves to be in the spotlight and that’s a big one.”

As the Minister for the Olympics, preparing Brisbane for its hosting duties in 2032, Palaszczuk was set to travel in style to the French capital in July as a VIP guest, enjoying the Games in a spectacular way that few can.

Annastacia Palaszczuk with Elton John. Picture: Supplied

Director Baz Luhrmann with Annastacia Palaszczuk.

It’s something she’s certainly fond of, with red carpets, exclusive parties high on the agenda during her reign.

While Queensland small businesses were rebuilding from Covid, particularly the smashed tourism sector, and economic pressures were brewing in countless households, Palaszczuk could often be found posing in front of a media wall at some glitzy soiree.

“She’ll go to the opening of an envelope,” one insider quipped.

The multi-billion-dollar Gabba stadium redevelopment has become a major controversy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Why did no-one close to her advise against going to multiple events a week wearing thousand-dollar designer dresses, sipping champagne and hobnobbing with the state’s elite?

A hallmark of political leadership is the skill to surround yourself with capable and trusted advisers, who tend to stick with you for the long haul.

Look at most offices across the country throughout recent history and you’ll find seasoned and long-term staffers who help keep the train on the tracks.

But in Palaszczuk’s office, key figures tended to come and go. But mostly go. Especially the ones with enough backbone to push back on her fanciful whims and bizarre ideas.

For several years I’ve heard some stunning tales of dysfunction, in-fighting, favouritism and even behaviour that could constitute bullying.

Close friends and allies were elevated, sometimes above those more capable, and threw their weight around with frivolous abandon.

One former staffer told me it was on par with something like Marie Antoinette’s royal court. More of a club of fawning sycophants, suckling on a teat of taxpayer-funded privilege, than a functioning office.

Annastacia Palaszczuk will now bow out of politics entirely.

In-touch advisers would’ve reminded her that she promised no new or higher taxes at the last election, before she came up with policies that resulted in exactly that.

They would’ve questioned the multi-billion-dollar vanity project that was the knock-down-rebuild of the Gabba stadium for the Olympics, all to add just several thousand more seats.

They might’ve urged her to work on meaningful policies to combat crime, instead of the shocking lightbulb idea to override the Human Rights Act when it comes to juvenile offenders.

And someone could’ve piped up and said that multiple expensive cabinet reshuffles were not a solution to scandal and controversy.

Billion-dollar cost blowouts on major infrastructure projects. Huge levels of debt. Very few plausible ideas.

Many positives, like big-ticket infrastructure projects, were marred by controversy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

I’m sure Palaszczuk is probably a fine person. That doesn’t change the harsh truth that she was never meant to be premier because she simply wasn’t up to the challenge.

After the sweeping victory of Liberal-National Party leader Campbell Newman in 2012, which reduced Labor’s standing in parliament to just seven members, someone needed to fill the seat.

I’m told on authority that the thinking was someone should lead for a period so more capable hands weren’t wasted and could be swapped in when the electoral timing was right.

“She would’ve made an adequate minister,” one person in the know told me today.

Another said: “She was the luckiest politician in Australian history – Campbell Newman and then Covid.”

She was an accident who few around her – those who really knew her – thought was up to being premier. Eventually, her luck ran out and she proved them right.

Shannon Molloy is a senior reporter for news.com.au and in a former life was an adviser to Queensland Premier Anna Bligh

Originally published as Political insider’s dish on Annastacia Palaszczuk’s downfall