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National
Henry Belot

Steven Miles confirms run for Queensland Labor leader – as it happened

Annastacia Palaszczuk Queensland
Annastacia Palaszczuk and Steven Miles
Queensland deputy premier Steve Miles, right, has confirmed he rill run to succeed Annastacia Palaszczuk as Labor party premier after the long-standing premier announced her retirement. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

What we learned today, Sunday 10 December

We will wrap up the blog here this Sunday. Here’s what made the news today:

We’ll see you bright and early tomorrow. Thanks for your company today.

Updated

Pro-Palestine rallies continue

There’s been another weekend of protest against the war in Gaza in Sydney’s Hyde Park and outside Melbourne’s State Library. These pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been ongoing for more than two months.

It’s difficult to judge numbers, but according to vision on social media, there still appears to be significant numbers of people turning up to the rallies.

Protesters gather outside the state library in Melbourne.
Protesters gather outside the state library in Melbourne. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP
Woman with face painted as a watermelon
A pro-Palestine supporter at the rally in Melbourne. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP

Updated

Tributes to Annastacia Palaszczuk’s tenure as Queensland premier have slowed but there’s still a few contributions worth highlighting, including from Julia Gillard.

The WA premier, Roger Cook, has also issued a statement along with the ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr.

Farming alliance push research on livestock emission

Australian farmers are leading the charge on calls to fast-track research into reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, AAP reports.

Australia is one of nine countries to sign up to an Agriculture Climate Alliance announced on Sunday at the United Nations’ Cop28 climate conference in Dubai.

The alliance includes Australia, New Zealand and several South American countries and advocates “an ambitious, targeted approach to climate action in agriculture”.

The president of the National Farmers’ Federation, David Jochinke, spoke to AAP from Dubai:

We are being proactive in this space. When we talk about climate and agriculture’s role in it, it needs to be included in the conversation and not limiting productivity.

Cows in a paddock looking at the camera
Cows on King Island, Tasmania. Australia has urged for research into reducing carbon emissions from livestock Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Updated

Record-breaking heatwave eases as two months’ worth of rain soaks parts of South Australia

Parts of South Australia have received more than two months of rainfall in under 24 hours, as a record-breaking heatwave begins to ease across most of New South Wales.

SA’s state emergency service has warned of potential localised flooding with the heaviest rainfall expected on the Eyre Peninsula, the west coast, and the north-west pastoral districts.

Angus Hines from the Bureau of Meteorology said this level of rainfall is unusual in December:

By the end of the day, it’s anticipated that some of these places will have received more than 100mm or rainfall and while that’s not a lot for some parts of Australia, it’s typically dry in South Australia

A lot of places expected to receive between 50 and 100mm of rain this weekend only average about 20mm over the course of a typical December, so that’s double or triple what they normally get.

Government eyes tougher laws after PwC scandal

To federal politics now, the government has begun consultation on the next tranche of reforms to improve integrity and accountability in the tax system, AAP reports.

Tax agents overwhelmingly do the right thing but the PwC leaks scandal shows the current regulatory framework is not up to scratch in responding to misconduct, according to Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones.

Mr Jones said the government was seeking ways to expand on sanctions including reintroducing criminal penalties for unregistered practitioners, broadening and increasing civil penalties and introducing infringement notices:

PwC Australia was last month fined nearly $100,000 and found to have discredited the accounting profession by a disciplinary tribunal. The embattled firm has faced sustained criticism and is accused of abusing its trusted role as an adviser after staff leaked information about proposed federal government tax changes to clients.

Palaszczuk’s success due in large part to her personal popularity

Annastacia Palaszczuk’s premiership was buttressed, almost entirely, by her personal popularity. Her faction, the Australian Workers Union-aligned Labor right, is clearly outnumbered by the left.

In recent years, Palaszczuk’s popularity began to turn. Her opponents, including some media outlets, sought to negate her down-to-earth political image by pushing stories about the idea she was “more interested in treading the red carpet than knuckling down to the grind of governing”.

But the seed for Palaszczuk’s retirement was sewn earlier this year, in the week her government suspended the Human Rights Act to detain children in watch houses, immediately before she left for a two-week holiday in Italy, where she was accosted by a news organisation.

She returned from leave weakened – lacking clear support from her MPs – but insisting she was re-energised, and appeared to be working towards contesting another election, due in October 2024.

On Sunday, she said she first “turned my mind” to the idea of resigning while on holiday, and that her mind was made up at the most recent national cabinet meeting.

Updated

Queensland residents warned of Jasper’s destructive power

Staying in Queensland but stepping away from politics for a moment. The state’s far north is bracing for the likely arrival of tropical cyclone Jasper on Wednesday.

Residents between Cape Melville, on the eastern coast of Cape York Peninsula, and Townsville have been placed on notice that destructive winds and potential flooding are headed their way.

They’ve been warned that trees and powerlines are likely to be felled and roofs blown from houses along with anything else not tied down.

Should Jasper remain on its current trajectory, power, phones and internet services are expected to be lost and water supplies interrupted, Queensland Fire and Emergency said on Sunday.

Storm surges would also mean flooding in some places and communities isolated.

- AAP

Updated

The Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has joined the list of Labor figures congratulating Annastacia Palaszczuk after she announced her retirement from politics.

Chalmers said “Queenslanders could count on the steady, practical, common sense and people-focused leadership of a history-making premier”.

Steven Miles confirms he'll run as Queensland Labor party leader

Deputy premier Steven Miles has confirmed he’ll be standing for the party leadership at a caucus meeting on Friday.

In a statement on Facebook, the longtime deputy congratulated premier Annastacia Paluszczuk, writing that she will “go down in history as a great reforming Labor premier” who “brought the Labor party back to office at a time when people had written us off for a generation”.

Miles said that if chosen to be premier, he would “deliver better government” and “refocus the state on the services Queenslanders rely on”.

Here’s more of his statement:

I am up for the challenges and in it for Queenslanders. Much has been achieved over nine years but there’s so much left to do. We need to accelerate the creation of more homes. We need to refocus our health system on patients and listen to and learn from their experiences.

We need to provide infrastructure for our growing communities to protect our lifestyle. We need to work better with our partners to deliver the legacy benefits of the Olympics and Paralympics.

And we need to lift our ambition on our energy and jobs plan, to provide renewable energy, and to keep our existing industries competitive in a climate conscious world.

And we need to help working Queenslanders with cost of living relief wherever we can.

Updated

Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has revealed Annastacia Palaszczuk gave her some helpful advice ahead of her first meeting of national cabinet earlier this week. Here’s what she told my colleague, Benita Kolovos:

Annastacia gave me some really good advice that I won’t disclose, but she was really supportive in helping me navigate my way through my first national cabinet.

And you can read that full interview here:

Updated

So who will replace Annastacia Palaszczuk?

Palaszczuk will officially step down as premier next week and will leave parliament at the end of the month. Her successor – currently a three-way contest between the deputy premier, Steven Miles, the health minister, Shannon Fentiman and treasurer Cameron Dick – is yet to be decided.

At a press conference on Sunday, Palaszczuk said the decision was for her colleagues but she also endorsed Miles as her successor, saying she believed he “will make an excellent premier”:

That is for the caucus to decide, but I will be giving my strong endorsement to Steven Miles to be the new premier of Queensland.

Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles
Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Updated

More premiers pay tribute to Annastacia Palaszczuk

More premiers have responded to Annastacia Palaszczuk’s retirement from politics. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said Palaszczuk was a trailblazer who “fundamentally changed Queensland for the better”.

South Australian leader, Peter Malinauskas, hailed her record as Australia’s longest-serving female premier:

From her remarkable election victory in 2015, three consecutive election wins and leading Queensland for almost nine years, Annastacia Palaszczuk can be extremely proud of what she has achieved. She leaves the role as the longest serving female Premier in our nation’s history, a remarkable achievement.

Updated

There’s been a lot of talk about the polls. While they stabilised on a two-party-preferred basis recently, they were “grim” in late October, according to our Queensland correspondent, Ben Smee.

Here’s some of his analysis from the time that might help you understand what’s happening behind the scenes in Queensland:

Labor’s 2020 victory followed an almost presidential campaign built around Palaszczuk and her personal popularity. Queensland is a deeply complex state, where voters differ from region to region, and where policies pitched in one electorate might backfire in another.

The premier has repeatedly bridged ideological and regional divides by cobbling together unlikely coalitions of voters. The lynchpin of this success has been women.

Few published state polls drilled this deep, but Labor sources estimate the party might have had a 60-40 advantage over the Liberal National party among women at the last election. That fact makes more recent polling very grim reading for Labor supporters.

RedBridge group’s polling from August and September shows Labor trailing 53-47 among women across the state. The numbers are bad everywhere. The LNP leads among men (58-42), in north Queensland (55-45), central Queensland (63-37) and even in the south-east (53-47).

Palaszczuk doesn’t just have a polling deficit to overcome. She has a structural problem in that Labor does not have a base from which to build a successful election campaign.

Updated

Palaszczuk’s resignation ‘an absolute bombshell’, says former Speaker

Former Speaker of the Queensland parliament and Labor minister, John Mickel, has said Annastacia Palaszczuk’s resignation was a “bombshell” that he did not expect. He’s just been speaking to ABC News:

It’s an absolute bombshell. The premier says she’s been thinking about it. I thought at this stage of the year, she’d continue on. But a bombshell announcement.

Mickel, who is now an adjunct professor at QUT, was asked why Palaszczuk has resigned now. Here’s his response:

You’ve got a shelf life in politics. And if you’ve been working hard and gone through what the leaders had to go through during Covid, fronting the media every day, making decisions every single day, that is wearing and taxing.

Other premiers who have given it away have all said this, that it is taxing on yourself, on your own personal life and there’s a shelf life at which people say, look, ‘Isn’t there anybody else?’

Former Queensland politician John Mickel.
Former Queensland politician John Mickel. Photograph: Glenn Hunt/AAP

Updated

In his statement a few moments ago, Richard Marles said Annastacia Palaszczuk was willing to make difficult decisions to keep her state safe during the pandemic.

The state’s hardline approach to the pandemic, characterised by border closures, were politically popular within Queensland. But for many in the intertwined communities along the NSW frontier, bureaucracy trumped common sense.

Back in 2021, Guardian Australia spoke to residents who had been separated from their hospital and blamed inflexible border policies for placing them at greater risk of Covid.

You can read back over that coverage to remind yourself how the state approached the pandemic under Palaszczuk’s leadership.

Updated

Palaszczuk ‘never afraid to make difficult decisions’, Richard Marles said

Defence minister, Richard Marles, has also posted a statement congratulating Annastacia Palaszczuk on her almost nine years as premier.

Her legacy will endure for years to come, including in 2032 when Queensland hosts the Olympics.

Throughout the most difficult of times – be it a once-in-a-generation pandemic or natural disasters – Annastacia was always determined to keep the people of Queensland safe: never afraid to make difficult decisions.

Updated

Palaszczuk ‘a game changer’, says Penny Wong

The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has described Annastacia Palaszczuk as “a game changer”. Here’s some of her statement:

The first woman to become a state premier from opposition – and the first to win three elections. She did this with dedicated leadership on health, education, housing and the environment. Wishing Annastacia all the best.

Updated

As mentioned earlier, Annastacia Palaszczuk’s resignation news came after months of leadership speculation.

In September, Guardian Australia spoke with several Labor MPs who said she should resign. The mood for change within the Labor caucus was clear and growing.

Here’s what one MP told my colleague Ben Smee:

We are going backwards everywhere, and at the point where we need to start talking about sandbagging. The premier was always going to fight to stay on. But I don’t think this is the end of it.

In response to those concerns, Palaszczuk said “my door is always open”. In the next breath, she said “not one person” had come through her door to raise leadership concerns.

You can read Smee’s analysis piece from September for more context to today’s resignation:

Annastacia Palaszczuk has now posted the most emotional section of her speech on social media:

Standing alongside and standing up for the people of Queensland as Labor’s premier has been the honour of my life.

I’ve always drawn my strength from the people of Queensland, working to make our state fairer and more prosperous for the future. I have given it my all. Thank you Queensland.

Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli pays tribute to Palaszczuk

The leader of the opposition in Queensland, David Crisafulli, is not playing politics today. He’s issued a short statement on social media:

Regardless of politics, nine years as premier deserves acknowledgement and respect. I want to thank Annastacia Palaszczuk for her service and wish her well in her retirement.

Crisafulli will have to wait until next week to see which leader he will face at October’s state election.

Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli.
Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP

Updated

Jacinta Allen says Palaszczuk inspired 'a generation of young girls'

Australia’s newest premier, has paid tribute to the longest-serving female leader in the country.

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allen, has said Annastacia Palaszczuk “showed a generation of young girls that female leadership is not only possible, but entirely normal”:

She didn’t just make a difference for young girls either. In my first weeks as premier the support I got from Annastacia was incredible, and she was generous with her advice just this week at national cabinet.

To win three successive elections and lead your state for nearly a decade is a remarkable achievement. I wish Annastacia the very best.

Updated

Albanese outlines Palaszczuk’s legacy as premier

During her resignation speech, Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was up to others to decide what her political legacy would be.

Well, prime minister Anthony Albanese has sought to highlight a few her government’s policy achievements. Here’s more of the statement he issued a few moments ago:

Under Annastacia, Queensland has set the standard for progress on workers’ rights, rebuilding public hospitals and strengthening public Tafe, helping regional communities seize the opportunities of renewable energy and protecting the precious treasures of Australia’s national environment.

At national cabinet, Annastacia was a Queenslander first, second and third but her experience, her leadership and her ability to find common ground so often helped drive action across the commonwealth.

So much of her legacy, in everything from housing and skills to hospital funding and the NDIS, reflects the strength of her Labor values and her conviction and confidence on the national stage. Just last week, she helped drive new action on a National Firearms Register, to guard against another tragedy like Wieambilla.

When the world turns its eyes to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, so much of what they see in that vibrant and prosperous setting will reflect the vision and ambition of Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Updated

Anthony Albanese calls Palaszczuk 'a Labor hero'

The prime minister Anthony Albanese has also described retiring Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, as a Labor hero.

He’s posted a long statement on social media. Here’s a section of it:

Annastacia Palaszczuk contacted me this morning to inform me of her decision to resign as Premier of Queensland.

She retires as a Labor hero, a three time election winner, Australia’s longest-serving female Premier and - above all else - a champion for Queenslanders.

From the moment she made history with her extraordinary 2015 election victory, Palaszczuk has served Queensland with fierce pride in her state and a powerful determination to deliver for people.

Annastacia’s leadership brought Queensland Labor back from the political brink and on so many occasions since then her government has put Queensland in a position of national leadership.

Annastacia leaves office rightly proud of all she has achieved and – as ever – thinking of what is best for Queensland and its future. I wish her all the very best for her future.

Updated

Milton Dick describes Palaszczuk as ‘a record maker’

Here’s another political reaction, this time from the Speaker of the federal parliament’s house of representatives, Milton Dick, who is also a Queenslander:

An amazing Queensland premier. Annastacia Palaszczuk is a record maker and has delivered for our great state and for the Inala community.

I’m proud of all her achievements. To me, she’s a best friend in every way. Looking forward to see her succeed and lead in the next chapter of her life.

Updated

Political analyst says polls showed Palaszczuk’s leadership had become unsustainable

Paul Williams, a political scientist with Griffith University, has given his analysis on Annastacia Palaszczuk’s resignation to ABC news.

I think it is prompted by a couple of events. The most recent poll to come out of Queensland shows the Labor vote is actually stabilising, but the leadership approval ratings of Annastacia Palaszczuk personally are still in decline, which suggests to party elders that the problem is with the leader and not the party and that the leader had to go.

I suspect in recent times, possibly even over the last week, that she has received a tap on the shoulder from factional chieftains both inside the party and outside the party, [who] have tapped her on the shoulder to say that your leadership is unsustainable, Labor can’t win under your leadership, it is time to move on.

When questioned about her political support earlier today, Palaszczuk said she still had support from the state party. She said she had given the job everything, but had nothing left to give.

Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks in Brisbane in March 2023.
Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks in Brisbane in March 2023. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

Updated

Palaszczuk reveals she changed her mind in recent weeks

It was only a couple of months ago that Annastacia Palaszczuk insisted she would lead the Labor party to next year’s state election.

In mid-September, Palaszczuk fronted the media after a two-week Italian holiday, which highlighted discontent among colleagues. She said despite a recent medical scare she had no intentions of resigning.

Here’s what she said at the time:

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.

During her press conference today, Palaszczuk confirmed she did feel refreshed after the holiday, but had changed her mind in recent weeks.

Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks to the media on 11 September 2023.
Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks to the media on 11 September 2023. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP

Updated

Wayne Swan describes Palaszczuk as ‘one of the true Queensland Labor greats’

Former federal treasurer, Wayne Swan, has described Annastacia Palaszczuk as “one of the true Queensland Labor greats”.

In 2015 Annastacia promised good, decent government for the people of Queensland. That’s exactly what she’s delivered for the last nine years. Congratulations on your premiership. You are one of the true Qld Labor greats

Updated

Annastacia Palaszczuk’s resignation as Queensland premier means ACT chief minister, Andrew Barr, is the last remaining state or territory leader from the peak pandemic period.

NSW’s Gladys Berejiklian, Victoria’s Daniel Andrews, Tasmania’s Peter Gutwein, South Australia’s Steven Marshall, Western Australia’s Mark McGowan and the NT’s Michael Gunner have all already resigned.

Updated

Palaszczuk says she is ‘proud to have led a government of women’

Annastacia Palaszczuk has also reflected on her time as a premier during the pandemic. Like many other premiers, Palaszczuk fronted daily press conferences to provide updates on the latest case number, restrictions and border closures.

I am also proud to have led a government of women. That values women. That gave women the right to choose.

During the pandemic, I held press conferences nearly every day, alongside the police commissioner and the chief health officer. All women. And I think, during those Covid times, of all the lives that were saved.

Updated

Reactions begin to Palaszczuk’s resignation

The first of many reactions are now coming in after Annastacia Palaszczuk’s resignation as Queensland premier. This is from the Labor senator of Queensland and federal frontbencher, Murray Watt:

Over eight years of strong leadership for Queensland. Three election wins, restoring public services after the savage Newman LNP cuts, guiding Queensland through Covid and setting the state up for a future powered by clean energy jobs. Much to be proud of.

Updated

Palaszczuk says she still has the support of her party and colleagues

Annastacia Palaszczuk has told reporters she believes she still has the support of her party and her colleagues. Her resignation today comes after weeks of speculation about her leadership.

I still have the support of the entire party and the Labor movement and I want to thank them.

I have done nearly nine years as premier, three years before that as leader of the opposition and before that I was transport minister. I have dedicated my whole life into community service. There is no greater honour.

Palaszczuk, who will also finish up as the MP for Inala in early 2024, said she did not have another job lined up.

I have no job. Come January, I will be finishing up as [an MP]. I will be out there promoting Queensland in some form or capacity.

Updated

‘I have given everything’: Annastacia Palaszczuk

Annastacia Palaszczuk was emotional towards the end of her resignation speech, describing her time as premier as the honour of her life:

Standing here today in this place, with these flags, and standing up for the people of Queensland has been the honour of my life.

I don’t believe anyone who comes after me will know how humbling it is … to travel this state and meet so many amazing people.

I fought the good fight, I have given everything, but now is the time for me to find out what else life has to offer …

Thank you to every single Queenslander … It has been the greatest honour of my life and our best days are well and ahead of us.

Updated

Palaszczuk says she made her mind up to retire at national cabinet

Annastacia Palaszczuk has told reporters she first turned her mind to the idea of retiring while on a holiday with her partner:

Finally, last week, my mind was made up at national cabinet. I was sitting there thinking, this the fourth prime minister, there are all these new faces around the cabinet table, we have a great deal for Queensland- $4 billion – and I thought to myself, ‘renewal is a good thing’.

When I led this party from an opposition of just seven members, I said that the first election shall be like climbing Mount Everest. I went on to climb that mountain twice more. I don’t need to do it again. I’ve given it my all and I have run a marathon.

National cabinet meeting last Wednesday.
National cabinet meeting last Wednesday. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

‘It is the right time,’ Palaszczuk says of decision to retire

Annastacia Palaszczuk has just held a press conference announcing her resignation, telling reporters that her mind was made up at a meeting of national cabinet earlier in the week.

I will finish this week as premier and the next premier of Queensland is for the caucus to decide on Friday, giving MPs time to come back and seeing the people of Queensland will have their say.

I’ve been thinking about it for a while and it is the right time.

While Palaszczuk said the new premier was for her colleagues to decide, she’s given an endorsement to her deputy:

I have a great deputy in Steven Miles and I will believe he will make an excellent premier. He is one of the best treasurers I’ve ever seen in the state.

Updated

Welcome

Good afternoon and welcome to our rolling coverage of news this Sunday 10 December.

The main headline is the Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszcuk, is to retire from politics. She’ll hold a press conference later today. The announcement follows months of speculation about her future. Here’s what she told Guardian Australia ahead of the announcement:

Queensland is in good shape, which is why now is the time for me to leave.

In other news today, Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten has said it would have been “helpful” if the high court had given its reasons for ruling indefinite detention was unconstitutional at the same time it handed down its decision.

There’s some policy to talk about: The government has announced investors will be slugged with higher fees and steeper penalties for buying existing homes and leaving them empty as the government aims to address housing affordability.

It’s been a big weekend of weather too. Parts of South Australia have received more than two months of rainfall in under 24 hours, as a record-breaking heatwave begins to ease across most of New South Wales.

Stick with us as we bring your reaction to Palaszcuk’s resignation and other news through the afternoon.

Updated

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