Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is facing leadership rumblings ahead of next year’s poll.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
That,coupled withfriendly-fire attacks on her government’s youth crime policies in parliament,has raised the political heat on the woman wholed Labor out of the wilderness in just one term after beingreduced to just seven seats by the Newman juggernaut in 2012.
On Saturday,The Australian reported senior Labor figures were convinced Palaszczuk should step aside before October to give her successor time to make the role their own,but there was no active challenge to her leadership.
Palaszczuk went on leave on Saturday for a holiday overseas,with a return date of September 11. Her deputy,Steven Miles,would be acting premier while she was away.
Loading
It was left to Energy Minister Mick de Brenni,the only member of the Palaszczuk government to front media on Saturday,to publicly back his leader after repeated questioning on the Labor leadership.
Asked if there should be term limits such as in the United States,where presidents can only serve eight years – the same length as Palaszczuk’s premiership – de Brenni dismissed suggestions she may have become complacent.
“I don’t think there should be term limits and I can guarantee you this there is nothing complacent about Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk,” he said.