‘Energised’ premier reveals medical issue after holiday leadership talk

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has admitted she suffered a medical episode in May, since cleared by follow-up tests, and that she needs to better communicate with citizens and her Labor MPs.

Fronting media for the first time since her two-week overseas break, during which questions about her leadership simmered, Palaszczuk also said no one had raised leadership concerns with her.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk held a lengthy solo press conference at 1 William Street after meeting with cabinet colleagues on Monday, following her two-week break.Credit: Matt Dennien

“I feel refreshed, I feel energised, and I’m absolutely determined to lead the party and this government to the next election,” she said after the getaway with her partner Reza Adib.

Palaszczuk described News Corp tracking the pair to an Italian hotel, reportedly forcing security to help them leave, as an “invasion of privacy”.

Media also ambushed the couple at the airport as they touched down back in Brisbane about 11pm on Sunday.

Why it matters

With more than 13 months until the October 2024 state election, a series of recent polls – including one for Brisbane Times last month – have shown souring support for Labor and Palaszczuk.

This, along with an extraordinary last sitting week of parliament, helped push internal party leadership frustrations public as Palaszczuk left the country for the two-week break.

While the rumblings fuelled speculation about Palaszczuk’s future, there is no active push to remove her and party rules make it incredibly hard to do so unless she decides to bow out of the role.

Palaszczuk has said repeatedly for more than a year she plans to lead her third-term Labor government to the next election.

What they said

After raising previously unmentioned “health issues” while on holidays, Palaszczuk said on Monday she had a “medical episode” while in Mackay for the state Labor conference in June.

“I’m happy to share with everyone, I shared with our cabinet this morning, that … I was rushed to emergency – I spent about five or six hours in the Mackay hospital,” she said.

“I’ve had some tests following and everything is fine now.”

‘I need to communicate more to the people of the state, and I need to communicate more to the people of the party.’

Responding to anonymous internal criticisms of her leadership amid souring polls, Palaszczuk said not one person has raised any issues with her.

“But of course, as a government, as the leader of the government, I can always do things better,” she said.

“And I need to communicate more to the people of the state, and I need to communicate more to the people of the party.”

In the more than 35-minute solo press conference, Palaszczuk also insisted she was passionate about the job, as well as underlining the need for “good people” in politics, and the LNP’s lack of an alternative vision.

“Not selfish people, not ruthless people, not ambitious people – they need good, decent people, and I want to see more good, decent people in politics.”

Palaszczuk said she would be asking fellow Labor MPs at Monday afternoon’s caucus meeting to let her know by the end of October if they were planning to recontest their seat at the election.

Sean Parnell sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive his Note from the Editor.

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