The Queensland premier has conceded she needs to “explain things better” but insists she intends to lead the Labor party to next year’s election amid mounting speculation about division in the Labor caucus.
Annastacia Palaszczuk fronted the media on Monday for the first time since her two-week Italian holiday highlighted discontent among colleagues, and said despite a recent medical scare she had no intentions of resigning.
“I feel refreshed, I feel energised and I’m absolutely determined to lead the party and this government to the next election. I just want to make that very clear to everybody,” she said.
The Labor leader revealed she had been rushed to the emergency department during a “medical episode” while attending the Labor state conference in Mackay in June.
She said she had undergone subsequent tests and “everything’s fine now”.
Questions about her health came after Palaszczuk had told reporters who interrupted her holiday in Italy she had a health issue.
Palaszczuk said on Monday she felt it was an “invasion of privacy” that media tracked her down while on leave.
The premier also said the expected severity of the coming bushfire season played a role in the timing of her holiday.
“It’s healthy for leaders to have a break and I felt I needed the break.”
Palaszczuk is facing sinking popularity in the polls and internal discontent after the government rushed controversial legislation through parliament in the last sitting week before her leave.
The most controversial piece of legislation suspended the Human Rights Act to legalise the detention of children in adult prisons and police watch houses.
Guardian Australia has spoken to multiple Labor MPs who were deeply uncomfortable and felt they were “clearly misled” about amendments that were rushed through parliament.
On Monday, Palaszczuk said she understood “it was a challenging week, there was a lot going on”.
“It’s my job to explain things better to the caucus and better to Queenslanders … I’m always happy to improve,” Palaszczuk told reporters.
“In relation to the amendment that went through, we would have preferred it would have gone to committee. However, legal action was being taken and we’ve got legal advice that said we needed to fix it up as quickly as possible.”
Palaszczuk, who became premier in 2015, said the only poll that counts is election day and said she had been the “underdog” on many occasions.
“I’ve been termed [the] accidental [premier] … but I’ve stood my ground … Politics needs people who care … not selfish people, not ambitious people. They need good, decent people,” she said.
“I believe I’m the best person [to be Labor leader]. We have the policy plans for this state … Queensland’s best days are ahead of us.”
Palaszczuk’s two most likely potential challengers – Steven Miles and Shannon Fentiman – have both expressed public support for the premier.
The party’s strict rules mean an internal challenge is unlikely and Palaszczuk would most likely have to resign for a new leader to take the helm.
But the premier showed no signs of loosening her grip on power, saying she would stay on as the member for Inala.
“I just say this, in all honesty, that politics should be the contest of ideas, not the combat of personalities. This is where politics is being driven to the lowest level,” Palaszczuk said.
