‘Time for me to leave’: Annastacia Palaszczuk to quit as Queensland premier

Annastacia Palaszczuk, the so-called “accidental premier” who led Labor to three Queensland election victories, will resign from politics after almost nine years in the top job.

An emotional Palaszczuk made the announcement on Sunday morning after updating the media about the impending arrival of Tropical Cyclone Jasper – potentially her 63rd Queensland natural disaster as premier.

She said she turned her mind towards stepping down while on a recent Italian holiday with her partner, Reza Adib, as speculation swirled about her leadership.

But her mind was only made up following last week’s national cabinet meeting as she looked around the table at the relatively fresh set of premiers and her fourth prime minister.

“I thought to myself, ‘renewal is a good thing’,” she said.

“When I led this party from an opposition of just seven members, I said that the first election will be like climbing Mount Everest. I went on to climb that mountain twice more. I don’t need to do it again.”

Annastacia Palaszczuk composes herself after becoming emotional while announcing her resignation. Credit: Nine

She will step down as premier at the end of the week, and as the member for Inala at the end of the year.

The next leader will be a matter for the Labor caucus. Palaszczuk said she would give her deputy, Steven Miles, her “strong endorsement”. Miles said on Sunday he would nominate for the leadership.

Treasurer Cameron Dick and Health Minister Shannon Fentiman are considered the other frontrunners.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Palaszczuk contacted him on Sunday morning informing him of her decision.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has announced he will throw his hat into the ring to replace Annastacia Palaszczuk.Credit: Nick O’Malley

“She retires as a Labor hero, a three-time election winner, Australia’s longest-serving female premier and, above all else, a champion for Queenslanders,” he said.

Despite conjecture about her political future, particularly in recent months as her popularity slipped in opinion polls, Palaszczuk always insisted she would lead the party to the state election in October next year.

The most recent poll, published by this masthead on Tuesday evening, had Labor trailing the LNP by four percentage points and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli opening up a larger margin as preferred premier.

Her government has been fighting losing battles on multiple political fronts, including youth crime, hospital failures, and a housing crunch.

She had faced calls this month from two former Labor politicians to step down as leader, but none of her present colleagues added their names to the suggestion. Neither had anyone publicly declared their own leadership intentions.

“Queensland is in good shape, which is why now it’s time for me to leave,” Palaszczuk said on Sunday.

The premier broke down in tears and took some moments to compose herself while explaining how standing up for Queenslanders had been the “honour of my life”.

“I have given everything, but now is the time for me to find out what else life has to offer,” she said.

Annastacia Palaszczuk celebrates Labor’s win on election night in 2015.Credit: Robert Shakespeare

“I want to thank my mum, my dad, my sisters, my nieces and nephew. Most of all Reza and his family for all their love and support. They’re looking forward to having me home.

“Thank you to my cabinet and my staff. Thank you to the Labor Party, to all of our frontline workers, but most of all, thank you every single Queenslander.”

Palaszczuk became Labor leader in 2012 after the defeat of Anna Bligh’s government. So comprehensive was the LNP’s victory under Campbell Newman, Palaszczuk was left with only seven members – nicknamed the “magnificent seven” – in an 89-seat unicameral parliament.

By the January 2015 election, however, Newman had squandered his numbers and a chance at a second term. Labor under Palaszczuk won government with 44 seats and a swing of almost 11 per cent.

Disparagingly referred to as the “accidental premier” at the time, Palaszczuk proved it was no fluke, going on to win a further two elections as leader. If she had held on until May, she would have surpassed Peter Beattie as the state’s longest-serving post-war Labor premier.

Albanese praised her efforts on workers’ rights, public TAFE, renewable energy and protecting the environment.

“From the moment she made history with her extraordinary 2015 election victory, Annastacia Palaszczuk has served Queensland with fierce pride in her state,” he said.

“Annastacia’s leadership brought Queensland Labor back from the political brink, and on so many occasions since then, her government has put Queensland in a position of national leadership.”

Palaszczuk, Australia’s last pandemic-era premier, said seeing the new faces around the national cabinet table, helped her make her decision. She said she had also had a discussion with the recently resigned former premier of WA, Mark McGowan.

“I had a break [in Italy] and I felt refreshed and renewed, and I honestly thought that I had renewed energy and I gave it everything,” she said.

“But I got to the end of the year, and I’ve been to national cabinet – that was the turning point – and I just feel now is the right time. ”

Palaszczuk pointed to jobs, population growth, the government’s energy plan and the infrastructure pipeline as reasons why Queensland’s future was “brighter than it has ever been”.

“We’ve started making things in Queensland again, like trains at Maryborough,” she said.

“I’m also proud to have led a government of women, that values women, that gave women the right to choose.

“During the pandemic, I had press conferences nearly every day alongside the police commissioner and the Chief Health Officer – all women.”