Queensland election: Annastacia Palaszczuk warned that Jackie Trad call not yours

A key Labor faction boss has contradicted Annastacia Palaszczuk’s declaration Jackie Trad won’t return to cabinet.

Former Queensland deputy premier Jackie Trad. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

The boss of Queensland’s dominant Labor faction has contradicted Annastacia Palaszczuk’s declaration that her former deputy and treasurer, Jackie Trad, won’t return to cabinet if the government is re-elected.

United Workers Union state secretary Gary Bullock insisted the makeup of the ministry would be determined by the ALP’s “democratic processes”, a clear warning to the Premier about the limits of her power in the factional system.

Ms Trad’s immediate future will be decided by a battle with the Greens for her marginal seat of South Brisbane, where the Liberal National Party will preference Labor last to boost the minority party’s chances on October 31.

Ms Trad on Monday ruled herself out of a post-election recall to the ministry after the Premier refused to be drawn on whether this was on the cards after the election.

Ms Trad posted on Facebook that she had “only ever put myself forward to represent and fight” for her local community.

“Let me make clear, I am not seeking a return to cabinet,” she said. “I am actually in the fight of my political life – as many of my colleagues are … every MP’s job is up and it’s Queenslanders who get to decide whether or not MPs get to keep their jobs.”

Hardening her position, Ms Palaszczuk said on Monday Ms Trad would stay on the backbench should she prevail in South Brisbane. “Let me say very clearly, she will not return to cabinet if the Labor government is elected. I’ve made that very clear. She’s also communicated that today.”

Mr Bullock’s intervention, however, is a reminder of the clout he wields as boss of the Labor Left, the dominant faction in both the industrial wing and the parliamentary caucus. Under established Labor processes in Queensland, factions effectively pick the ministry based on the numbers in caucus, leaving it to the premier to assign portfolios.

Asked whether he thought Ms Trad should be returned to the cabinet if the government won, Mr Bullock said in a statement to The Australian: “The Labor Party has democratic processes that will determine who is in cabinet, but our focus must be to win the election and see Labor’s commitments for massive investments in health and education delivered.”

Seizing on the uncertainty over Ms Trad’s future, LNP frontbencher Jarrod Bleijie called on Ms Palaszczuk to guarantee her former 2IC would not be reinstated because “the decision is not up to her”.

Ms Trad’s disavowal of a comeback to cabinet was in sharp contrast to upbeat comments to this newspaper in July when she said she would “love” to serve in any capacity in a Labor government.

“I am a person who loves public policy, loves the challenge of working through complex issues to find solutions for the benefit of people, solutions to help people … whether that is solely focused on my local community or as a statewide focus,” she said.

Ms Trad faces voters on a margin of 3.55 per cent in South Brisbane, having won in 2017 on LNP preferences in the face of a stern challenge by the Greens.

Their candidate, Amy MacMahon, in her second tilt at the seat, will benefit from the LNP’s decision to reverse the conventional order of its how-to-vote card and preference the Greens above the ALP. Clive Palmer has said his United Australia Party would also preference Labor last in South Brisbane.