The Queensland Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced her retirement after 9 years as premier.
Listen to the 1pm 4BC news Brisbane (3m):
Watch Palaszczuk’s resignation press conference (9m):
First elected in 2015, the Palaszczuk government was re-elected in 2017 and 2020. Having been reduced to just 7 seats out of 89 in the 2012 election, Palaszczuk took the ALP back into government after only one term in opposition, increasing the ALP’s seat tally in each election thereafter: 44 seats in 2015, 48 in 2017 and 52 in 2020.
At her press conference today, Palaszczuk, the state’s 39th Premier, endorsed her deputy, Steven Miles, as her replacement. The ALP caucus will meet on Friday to elect the new leader. Assuming her successor will be sworn in on Friday, Palaszczuk will have served as Premier for 8 years, 10 months and 1 day.