Woman tipped to replace Annastacia Palaszczuk in ultra-safe Labor seat of Inala

Forty years of Palaszczuk family dominance in Labor’s safest seat in Queensland has come to an end with a byelection tipped to be held in March.

Annastacia Palaszczuk and her father Henry Palaszczuk enjoy a Democracy Sausage after she cast her vote in the 2020 state election, at Inala State School. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Forty years of Palaszczuk family dominance in Labor’s safest seat in Queensland has come to an end with a by-election tipped to be held in March.

Former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had her final day as Inala MP on Sunday after announcing her shock resignation from politics earlier last month.

No official date has been set for the by-election, but party sources believe it will be held on March 16, to coincide with local government elections.

Labor’s strict gender quota rules means Ms Palaszczuk’s replacement in the prized Labor seat will almost certainly be a woman.

Former teacher Margie Nightingale, a policy adviser for Treasurer Cameron Dick, is seen as frontrunner after affirmative action rules forced Ms Palaszczuk’s deputy chief of staff, Jon Persley, out of the running.

Mr Persley, a former ALP assistant national secretary who held long-term ambitions to succeed Ms Palaszczuk in Inala, said Labor’s gender quota rules had played a “big factor” in his decision to not contest preselection.

“While I’m very grateful for all the support I received across the party to run, it’s not something I’ll be doing at this point in time,” he said. “I look forward, though, to contributing to Labor’s ongoing future success.”

The affirmative action policy requires women to be preselected in 45 per cent of seats held by Labor. Women make up 40 per cent of the state Labor caucus.

Ms Palaszczuk, who spent the Christmas break with her surgeon partner, Reza Adib, on the Gold Coast, secured a 2.1 per cent swing at the 2020 election to take her margin to an ultra-safe 28.2 per cent. She inherited the seat, which covers Brisbane’s southwestern suburbs, from her father, Henry, in 2006.

Henry Palaszczuk held Inala, formerly Archerfield, from 1984 and served as a minister in Peter Beattie’s government. Between father and daughter, they won 14 consecutive elections.

Former senior Labor adviser Kirby Anderson said it was a “rare privilege” to work for both.

“Politicians, particularly premiers and ministers, can point to their name on plaques,” he said.

“The Palaszczuks – father and daughter – left their mark on people. They were both driven by helping people.”

It will be Queensland’s second by-election during this term after MP Duncan Pegg’s death triggered a vote in his southern Brisbane seat of Stretton in 2021.