Shannon Fentiman denies she has been approached to replace Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

Shannon Fentiman has denied she’s been approached to replace Annastacia Palaszczuk amid growing concerns over the Premier’s ability to win the next election.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman says no one has approached her to replace Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: John Gass

Leadership frontrunner Shannon Fentiman insists Labor MPs are not agitating for her to challenge Annastacia Palaszczuk amid mounting concerns about the Premier’s ability to win the October election.

The Health Minister, amid mounting public and private criticism of Ms Palaszczuk, batted away any suggestions Labor caucus would attempt to oust the Premier.

“The Premier has been really clear, she will take us to the next election,” Ms Fentiman said.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman is considered a frontrunner to replace Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: John Gass

Ms Fentiman, the most powerful woman in Labor’s left faction, is considered a frontrunner alongside Deputy Premier Steven Miles and Treasurer Cameron Dick to take over as leader should Ms Palaszczuk leave or be ousted.

But Ms Fentiman said “no one” had approached her to replace Ms Palaszczuk.

“No one’s raising that with me, because we have our leader Annastacia Palaszczuk, who is firmly focused on the things that Queenslanders are worried about right now,” she said.

“You’ve heard the Premier speak, she’s focused on cost-of-living, on the infrastructure we need for this growing state.”

Former Beattie and Goss government minister Bob Gibbs in recent days launched a brutal attack on Ms Palaszczuk’s leadership, describing her as “the walking dead” and labelling the process for her removal “bullsh*t”.

The piercing comments from the Left faction member follow party powerbroker Robert Schwarten’s demand on Friday for the state government to choose a “new model” of leadership before October’s election.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is facing mounting public and private criticism. Picture: David Clark

This came after senior Labor sources called on Ms Palaszczuk to use the summer to make a final decision on whether to fight for a fourth election.

Ms Fentiman dismissed Mr Gibbs’ and Mr Schwarten’s comments as musings of former Labor politicians who had been out of the game “for a long, long time”.

She dismissed suggestions caucus should be recalled over the Christmas New Year break or that a vote on Ms Palaszczuk’s leadership would take place when they do gather in February.

Unions will protest against Ms Palaszczuk’s office at One William Street on Tuesday in another strike against the government.

The protest is being organised by the peak Queensland Council of Unions and will also involve the powerful Electrical Trade Union, both furious with the government’s inaction on industrial relations reforms.

It also extends the criticism of the CFMEU, which has previously criticised the government for presiding over workplace deaths.

Action by the usually sympathetic unions is likely to be considered another blow to the government.

Originally published as Shannon Fentiman denies she has been approached to replace Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk