“Dr Young has stood by our side through thick and thin.
“She has been with us every step of the way during this pandemic.”
Annastacia Palaszczuk and her top doctor,Jeannette Young.Credit:Getty
But it was everyday Queenslanders who made the decision,the Premier said,as Dr Young’s health directions impacted everyone in the state.
On Monday,Deputy Premier Steven Miles recalled when he was approached last year by a cane grower’s wife in Prosperine,who asked if he was a politician who worked with Dr Young.
“She asked if I could pass onto Jeannette her thanks for how hard she was working and encouraged her to keep standing up to those who are criticising her,” he said.
“I said,‘I can do one better,she could tell her herself’.
“I rang Jeannette and let her speak directly and since then that’s become my favourite thing to do every time somebody stops me and asks me to pass the message on to Jeannette.”
Dr Young remained humble when addressing media on Monday,saying the new appointment was an enormous honour.
She had advised four premiers through six epidemics,including MERS,swine flu and the 2009 dengue outbreak.
Her response to the COVID-19 pandemic helped Queensland claw its way back out of lockdown,despite continued criticism over sudden border closures and harsh restrictions that impeded businesses and the tourism industry.
“It would be a real privilege to go across our wonderful state and talk to Queenslanders throughout the state because it has been Queenslanders who have done this over the last 18 months,they’ve given up so much for us to be where we are,” she said.
“It will be big shoes to fill,our governor has been an amazing governor through some difficult times.”
The health bureaucrat began her career as a doctor at Westmead Hospital in western Sydney,before packing up and moving to Rockhampton,and later moving to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Looking forward,she said she hoped the pandemic would be “on its way out” by the time she became governor.
“I do want to continue to push to roll out the vaccine,” she said.
“I want every adult Queenslander at 16 years of age and over able to have at least been offered the vaccine before I become governor.
“That’s absolutely my push over the time between now and November.”