40 Facts About Annastacia Palaszczuk

Annastacia Palaszczuk is an Australian politician who served as the 39th premier of Queensland from 2015 to 2023.

Annastacia Palaszczuk held office as the leader of the Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party from 2012 until her resignation, and has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for the division of Inala since 2006.

Annastacia Palaszczuk was a political adviser before her election to the Legislative Assembly, succeeding her father Henry Annastacia Palaszczuk in the seat of Inala.

Annastacia Palaszczuk held several roles in the Bligh Government from 2009 to 2012, when Queensland Labor suffered a historic defeat.

One of only seven remaining Labor Assembly Members, Annastacia Palaszczuk was elected unopposed as the Leader of Queensland Labor, becoming Leader of the Opposition.

Annastacia Palaszczuk went on to lead Labor to increased majorities at the 2017 and 2020 elections, making her the first Australian female premier to win three terms.

On 10 December 2023, Annastacia Palaszczuk announced her resignation as Premier.

Annastacia Palaszczuk left parliament at the end of the month.

Annastacia Palaszczuk attended St Mary's College, Ipswich from 1982 to 1986.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has degrees in Arts and Laws from the University of Queensland, a Masters of Arts from the London School of Economics, and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from Australian National University.

Annastacia Palaszczuk grew up around other sisters, by the name of Julia.

Annastacia Palaszczuk worked as a policy adviser to a number of Labor ministers, including Minister for Communities, Disabilities and Seniors, Warren Pitt and former Minister for the Environment, Dean Wells.

Annastacia Palaszczuk later decided to have a career in the legal profession and was studying for admission as a solicitor when her father announced his intention to retire at the 2006 election.

On 9 October 2008, Annastacia Palaszczuk was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Main Roads and Local Government in the wake of Ronan Lee's defection to the Greens.

Annastacia Palaszczuk lost over 17 per cent of her primary vote from 2009, but retained her seat with a 46.2 per cent primary vote and a 56.9 per cent two-party vote, representing a 14 per cent swing from 2009.

Annastacia Palaszczuk faced the task of rebuilding a party which had just suffered the worst defeat of a sitting government in Queensland history, and amongst the worst that a governing party has ever suffered at the state level in Australia.

Annastacia Palaszczuk faced the difficulty of leading an opposition caucus of only seven members, two short of official status.

Annastacia Palaszczuk said, 'I'm under no illusion of the task ahead, of the rebuild that we need to do and the fact that we need to restore people's faith in the Queensland Labor Party'.

Annastacia Palaszczuk defended the decision itself, saying it was made to save jobs across the state, but conceded that the Government should have been more open more quickly regarding the policy.

On 29 March 2012, Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that she would support the state parliamentary term being extended to four years, as is the case in the other Australian states.

Annastacia Palaszczuk is the first Premier of Queensland to have Polish heritage.

Annastacia Palaszczuk herself reverted Inala to its previous status as a comfortably safe Labor seat, scoring an 18-point swing to increase her majority to 25 per cent, the second safest in the state.

On 9 February 2015, with projections showing Labor assured of at least a minority government, Annastacia Palaszczuk said she intended to meet with Governor Paul de Jersey on 11 February and advise him that she could form a government.

The Annastacia Palaszczuk government prioritised public-servant job creation during her first term of government.

Annastacia Palaszczuk led Labor into the 2017 Queensland state election in hopes of winning a second term.

In May 2018, after achieving a parliamentary majority, Annastacia Palaszczuk passed legislation for a suite of new laws on land clearing restriction, with its deforestation rate being the worst in the country.

Annastacia Palaszczuk supported and helped pass legislation on 13 August 2020 that would ban gay conversion therapy, which would see health practitioners who attempt the practice jailed up to 18 months.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has been the subject of controversy from local environmental groups for supporting the Carmichael coal mine.

However, Annastacia Palaszczuk's government won another term in 2020, winning additional seats.

Annastacia Palaszczuk signed off on a deal for Adani to defer royalty payments for an unspecified amount of time in October 2020, sparking criticism from the Greens.

Annastacia Palaszczuk led Queensland Labor to the 2020 election and was challenged by the LNP opposition led by Deb Frecklington.

In contrast, the LNP leader Deb Frecklington became increasingly unpopular amongst voters, trailing Annastacia Palaszczuk as preferred premier by around 20 points and suffering negative net approval ratings.

Annastacia Palaszczuk declared victory on the night of the election, with Frecklington conceding and resigning from leadership the next day.

In 2021, Annastacia Palaszczuk announced a range of 'tough' new measures aimed at youth offenders.

In 2021, the Annastacia Palaszczuk government passed legislation giving police the power to stop and search persons without reasonable suspicion with the intention of reducing knife carrying primarily by young people.

In 2022, Annastacia Palaszczuk announced another range of measures including the construction of two new youth detention centres, a fast-track sentencing program, a range of increased penalties and high-visibility police patrols.

In 2022, Annastacia Palaszczuk put forward a $62 billion, ten-year clean energy plan.

On 10 December 2023, Annastacia Palaszczuk announced she would retire from politics.

Annastacia Palaszczuk was married to journalist George Megalogenis from 1996 to 1998, and to Simon Every, who was then Senator Joe Ludwig's chief of staff, from 2004 to 2009.

Since September 2021, Annastacia Palaszczuk has been in a relationship with Dr Reza Adib, a weight-loss surgeon based in Brisbane.