Annastacia Palaszczuk didn’t complain, Labor elder says

Former Labor MP Robert Schwarten fires back over Annastacia Palaszczuk’s allegations of his ‘abusive’ texts to her when premier.

Labor stalwart Robert Schwarten with Queensland Premier Steven Miles at Beef 2024 in Rockhampton earlier this year. Picture: Steve Vit.

Beattie Government minister Robert Schwarten says former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk regarded any criticism as a “personal insult” and that she did not make a formal complaint to the ALP against him about text messages he sent her.

It was reported on Monday that Ms Palaszczuk had complained to Labor figures about Mr Schwarten sending her late night text messages ahead of her resignation in December and which she claimed were “abusive”.

ALP state secretary Kate Flanders told The Australian that Ms Palaszczuk last year discussed Mr Schwarten’s texts with her and she had told the then-Queensland premier of her rights to make a formal complaint.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk raised concerns about the conduct of Mr Schwarten last year,’’ Ms Flanders told The Australian. “I explained the complaints policy within the party and how it is handled.”

Ms Flanders said the complaints process is confidential and she could not comment as to whether Ms Palaszczuk had made a complaint.

Ms Palaszczuk has privately claimed she had made a formal complaint about Mr Schwarten after resigning from politics.

She has declined to comment.

Former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announces her retirement from politics in December 2023. Picture: Liam Kidston

But in a text message to The Australian, Mr Schwarten said he has been told there was no formal complaint.

“It was the first I heard of it (when contacted by The Australian), so I raised it yesterday and was told there was no complaint registered, just an inquiry that’s why I was not informed,’’ he said.

“Had a complaint been lodged I would have gladly explained my contact as I strongly believe that our egalitarian party needs to hear what our members have to say.”

In August last year The Weekend Australian revealed that Ms Palaszczuk had lost the confidence of key sections of the party and was under internal pressure to step down after leading Labor to three successive election wins.

Mr Schwarten, an MP for 23 years in the seats of Rockhampton North and Rockhampton and who resigned in 2012, did not dispute that he had been sending text messages to Ms Palaszczuk before she resigned.

A still active member of the Old Guard faction of Queensland’s ALP, Mr Schwarten said he previously had “robust and heated” exchanges with past Queensland Labor premiers without complaint.

But he said Ms Palaszczuk was different.

“I certainly had no problem getting my views heard by (Wayne) Goss (Peter) Beattie and (Anna) Bligh, often robust and heated discourse resulted but I got to say my bit,’’ he wrote about the previous Labor premiers.

“I don’t expect slavish agreement but I, like every other member, has the right to express my views.

“The former premier (Ms Palaszczuk) regarded any critique as disloyal and a personal insult unlike all the others.

“That’s no reason to withhold views especially when they were the result of conversations outside the party critical of the government.

“Problem was Annastacia like all of us didn’t like to hear bad reports/feedback.”

Ms Schwarten said Ms Palaszczuk could have blocked his text messages.

“After 55 years in this party I don’t care who is the leader, I care about the party and the leader is its servant,’’ he said.

“We now live in a world where any criticism is viewed as bullying but if this was that, then surely the most powerful woman in the state should have called me and blocked me.

“She did neither and did not raise a complaint just an inquiry and I’m told that it was after she resigned.”

Multiple sources, all of whom declined to be named, described Ms Palaszczuk’s increasing distress about Mr Schwarten’s alleged behaviour.

A senior ALP source said Ms Palaszczuk last year told party officials of the texts, describing them as “abusive”. “It was pretty full-on,’’ the source said. “She refused to engage with him.’’

On Monday, former Rockhampton mayor Margaret Strelow said she was “not surprised by the allegations against Mr Schwarten”.

“..I remember getting some letters from him,’’ she said.

“You haven’t lived until you have received a letter like that from him.”

In 2017, Ms Strelow was initially backed by Ms Palaszczuk to run as a Labor candidate in Mr Schwarten’s former seat of Rockhampton.

But Ms Palaszczuk’s “captain’s call” sparked a factional showdown, with Mr Schwarten successfully backing Barry O’Rourke, who then went on to win the seat for Labor.

Mr Schwarten dismissed the comments by Ms Strelow saying she blamed him for her earlier failed preselection bid in 2012, when he retired and Labor endorsed Bill Byrne, who held the seat until 2017.

“Ms Strelow tried to get me to break my word to Bill Byrne and even offered to join the Old Guard,’’ he said.

Mr Schwarten said he also had issue with a number Ms Strelow’s decisions as mayor.

“So yes, I would have sent her letters, back then handwritten taking her to task, I also did so publicly,’’ he said.

Ms Strelow is now running as an independent in the seat of Rockhampton at the October 26 election.

She was publicly endorsed this year by Mr Byrne.