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Politics
Fraser Barton

Palaszczuk full-term pledge as poll pressure mounts

Latest polling indicates Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is on track for defeat. (Russell Freeman/AAP PHOTOS)

Annastacia Palaszczuk faces the fight of her political life to retain power and make good her pledge to serve a full term if re-elected Queensland premier.

Ms Palaszczuk and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli foreshadowed their year-long election campaigns this week for the October 26, 2024 poll.

The premier is battling poor polling and has dipped below Mr Crisafulli as preferred leader for the first time.

A YouGov poll published on Thursday had Ms Palaszczuk (35 per cent) and Mr Crisafulli (37 per cent) locked in a tight battle for preferred leader.

QLD PARLIAMENT SITTING
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is seeking a fourth term of government for Labor in Queensland.

The LNP also led Labor 52-48 in a two party preferred vote in the YouGov polling.

But Ms Palaszczuk remained defiant and said she was only focused on October 26 next year. 

"The poll that counts is on election day and anything can happen," she said on Thursday.

"There's a year out from the election.

"We've worked incredibly hard on our plans and our vision for Queensland and the opposition has no plans."

Ms Palaszczuk appealed to voters in a campaign-style video, while Mr Crisafulli used a Right Priorities brochure to kick-start his bid to become premier.

Ms Palaszczuk is seeking a fourth term of government for Labor after winning in 2015.

She said she would stay the course for the full next term despite fellow Labor premiers Mark McGowan and Daniel Andrews quitting this year. 

"I will and people can take me at my word,'' Ms Palaszczuk said.

Leader of the opposition David Crisafulli
David Crisafulli is seeking to return the LNP to power in Queensland.

"And, if ever you have a bad day in this job, you walk down to the coffee shop or you go and meet someone and then they tell you their story, it inspires you to keep going."

When residents of the Sunshine State last attended polling booths, masks were worn, lockdowns were a common term and COVID-19 was still rife across the world.

Ms Palaszczuk received huge support at the last election for her management of COVID and the state's borders, taking a firm, no-nonsense stance from the first lockdown in March 2020.

Queensland recorded only seven COVID deaths from the beginning of the pandemic till opening up fully in December 2021.

But even with that support, leading during the pandemic took its toll.

Annastacia Palaszczuk
Annastacia Palaszczuk said leading the state during COVID-19 took its toll on her.

"There was a time there when there were death threats," she said.

"That was very concerning for myself and my family. 

"It was a very, very tough time but there were people doing it tougher than me.

"So, (it's) onwards and upwards."

Ms Palaszczuk became opposition leader in 2012 after Anna Bligh's Labor government was ousted by Campbell Newman and the LNP in the worst defeat of a sitting government in Queensland's history.

Ms Palaszczuk led and rebuilt the Labor opposition with only seven members, before sensationally winning government in 2015.

Eight years later, the premier might need to pull another political rabbit out of the hat with polling indicating she is on track for defeat. 

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