Annastacia Palaszczuk says internal rivals would have to wait until February for a challenge

Annastacia Palaszczuk says attacks on her leadership could be a deliberate strategy from members of her own party, but insists there will be no chance for a formal challenge until February.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: David Clark

Annastacia Palaszczuk has acknowledged escalating attacks on her leadership could be a deliberate strategy from members of her own party to destabilise her leadership but insists there will be no chance for MPs to formally challenge her until February.

Dismissing calls from former Labor ministers Bob Gibbs and Robert Schwarten that she should quit before next October’s state election, the Queensland Premier said she did not pay attention to criticism from people who were in parliament “many, many years ago”.

Labor rules in Queensland make rolling a sitting premier prohibitively difficult and politically messy.

A majority of Ms Palaszczuk’s party room would have to petition Labor state secretary Kate Flanders for a spill, triggering a vote of state MPs, branch members and affiliated unions that could take weeks.

Ms Palaszczuk has acknowledged attacks on her leadership could be a deliberate strategy from members of her own party. Picture: David Clark

Ms Palaszczuk said it was a “matter for the caucus” if they wanted to call for a vote, but she would not convene another formal meeting of MPs until February and would not resign.

“We have broken up for Christmas, of course, members are now back in their electorates working hard and there will be a caucus meeting next year,” she said.

“I have worked very hard for the people in this state, and I’ll continue to work very hard, I was elected to do that.”

Ms Palaszczuk said there “could be” a co-ordinated campaign to destabilise her leadership but would not speculate on who may be behind it.

Former Labor state president Mr Gibbs told The Courier-Mail at the weekend that the premier was the “walking dead” and her performance had been “cringe-worthy” after Mr Schwarten called for a “new model” leader.

Successive public polling suggests Ms Palaszczuk’s third-term government is headed for defeat at next year’s election and Ms Palaszczuk’s personal popularity has nosedived.

In August, Labor MPs, ministers and union figures privately said she needed to be convinced to go before Christmas to give her successor time to prepare to defend seats against an energised Liberal National Party.

Leadership speculation resurfaced at the weekend, following the last sitting of parliament for the year, but even MPs who want Ms Palaszczuk to go do not believe there is enough appetite for a spill before the new year.

“People have been pushing the boat out a bit further but I doubt we are organised enough to get (caucus) back together,” one MP said on the condition on anonymity.

Considered little more than a seat warmer when she took over the Labor leadership in 2012, Ms Palaszczuk’s personal popularity became one of Labor’s strongest assets but has been spiralling since the pandemic emergency ended.

Another Labor MP acknowledged they had been elected to parliament on the back of Ms Palaszczuk’s popularity, and her work in opposition, but believed it may be time for her to go.

“I think the Christmas break will be a good time for the Premier to consider her options,” they said.

“You can tell she has been trying harder since she came back from her break (in September) but sometimes you just cannot turn the tide, and the only thing that can is a change.

“I can’t see anything happening before Christmas but let’s wait for the new year.”

A final strategy meeting was held at parliament last Thursday and a Labor source told The Australian that although there’s some “wishful thinking” Ms Palaszczuk might have a “change of heart” over the Christmas holidays and consider her position, at the meeting it was clear she was “all in” for another run.