Queensland‘s leader for over nine years, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has announced her resignation at the end of this week.
After giving the media an update on Tropical Cyclone Jasper on Sunday morning, an emotional Palaszczuk made headlines.
She claimed to have thought about quitting as charges began to surface against her leadership while on vacation in Italy with Reza Adib.
That is, until the national cabinet meeting last week, when she made a different decision.
“I told myself that renewal is a good thing,” the woman remarked.
In my first speech as leader of my party, I compared winning the first election to climbing Mount Everest, given that there were only seven members in the opposition. I climbed that mountain twice more after that. I don’t have to experience it again.
The Labor Caucus will select the next prime minister. Palaszczuk declared that she would “strongly endorse” her deputy, Steven Miles.
The other front-runners are thought to be Health Minister Shannon Fentiman and Treasurer Cameron Dick.
At the conclusion of the year, Palaszczuk announced that she would be stepping down from her position as Inala’s representative.
Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, claimed that Palaszczuk called him early on Sunday to let him know what she had decided.
“She is retiring as Australia’s longest-serving female premier, a Labor hero, a three-time election victor, and most importantly, a champion for Queenslanders,” he said.
Annastacia Palaszczuk has always stated that she will lead the party to the state election in October of the next year, despite speculation over her political future, especially in light of her recent decrease in popularity in opinion polls.
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As this headline showed on Tuesday night, Labor was four percentage points behind the LNP in the most recent survey, and opposition leader David Crisafulli was widening the gap as the preferred premier.
She stated, “It’s time for me to go because Queensland is doing well.”
The premier wept and took some time to gather herself before describing how advocating for Queenslanders has been the “honor of my life.”
She stated, “I have given everything, but now is the right time to see what else life has to offer.”
“My parents, sisters, nieces, and nephew deserve my gratitude for everything. Reza and his family, above all, for their unwavering love and support. They can’t wait for me to return home.
“My staff and cabinet have my gratitude. I express my gratitude to the Queensland people, our front-line workers, and the Labor Party.
Following the collapse of Anna Bligh’s administration in 2012, Palaszczuk was named Labor leader. The 89-seat unicameral parliament was down to Palaszczuk’s “magnificent seven” after the LNP won with such a sizable margin under Campbell Newman.
But by the time of the election in January 2015, Newman had destroyed both his popularity and his chances of winning. Palaszczuk’s Labor Party won 44 seats and the majority in government with a swing of almost 11%.
Even though Palaszczuk needed to win two more elections to take the helm, he demonstrated that it wasn’t a coincidence, receiving the derisive nickname “accidental premier” at the time. She would have been the state’s longest-serving Labor premier since Peter Beattie if she had stayed in office until May.
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Albanese commended her work on renewable energy, workers’ rights, public TAFE, and environmental protection.
“Since her remarkable election victory in 2015, Annastacia Palaszczuk has served Queensland with fierce pride in her state,” stated the speaker.
“Annastacia’s leadership helped Queensland Labor recover from a precarious political situation, and her government has consistently elevated Queensland to a position of national prominence since then.”
Australia’s former prime minister during the pandemic, Palaszczuk, claimed that the appearance of multiple fresh faces at the national cabinet table influenced her choice. She added that she had spoken with Mark McGowan, the recently-resigned premier of Western Australia.
“I honestly felt like I had renewed energy, and I gave it everything,” she stated. Following my trip [to Italy], I felt refreshed and rejuvenated.”
“Yet at the end of the year, I visited the national cabinet—that was the pivotal moment—and I just think that this is the right time.”
The government’s energy plan, the pipeline, jobs, and population growth, according to Palaszczuk’s address, are the reasons Queensland’s future is “brighter than it has ever been.”
“We are once again producing goods in Queensland, such as trains at Maryborough,” she stated.
Being the head of a government that respects women and grants them the freedom to make their own decisions is also an honor for me.
“I participated in almost daily press conferences with the Chief Health Officer and the Commissioner of Police during the pandemic—both of whom are female.”
What is Annastacia Palaszczuk going to do next?
Even though Palaszcuk had spent her entire professional life serving the public and society, she maintained that change was now necessary.
She is leaving her role as premier this week, though she does not yet have a job lined up, and she will formally join Inala in January. “I will be promoting Queensland in some capacity,” she stated.
Queensland’s 39th premier, Palaszczuk, has held the position since 2015.
She was elected to the legislature in 2006, and in 2012 she took the helm of Queensland Labor.
She was the only chief minister of a state or territory to stay in office after the COVID-19 epidemic, aside from Andrew Barr in Canberra.
Gladys Berejiklian of New South Wales, Daniel Andrews of Victoria, Steven Marshall of South Australia, Mark McGowan of Western Australia, Michael Gunner of the Northern Territory, and Peter Gutwein of Tasmania are the officials who have tendered their resignations.
What action does Queensland’s leadership take next?
This week marks the conclusion of Palaszczuk’s tenure as premier, and on Friday, the Labor caucus will choose a new leader. She supported Steven Miles, the deputy premier, in keeping the state’s leadership.
“I believe he will make an excellent premier,” she stated.
“Everything is in place for a prosperous future. I swear to make sure everything moves along as planned and that the required structure is put in place.” It happens in October of the following year, just before Queensland’s state election.
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