Annastacia Palaszczuk has made a striking revelation about her plan for when she officially hangs her hat on her time as Queensland Premier.
The outgoing leader, who held the top job for nine years, revealed on Sunday in her resignation announcement that she has “no job” lined up for next year.
“I have no job,” she revealed.
“So come January – I’ll also be finishing up as the member for Inala this month as well – but look I think, I’ll be out there promoting Queensland in some sort of capacity.
“Look around you, this state has so much to offer. There’s buildings everywhere, the transport systems, we’re making things in Queensland. Honestly, our best days are ahead of us.
“What has inspired me most is the people I’ve met out and about.”
She added it was “for others to decide” what kind of legacy she would leave in her wake.
Her announcement followed months of speculation she was on her way out.
She will officially step down next week and has thrown her support behind Steven Miles to replace her in the role.
Ms Palaszczuk said she began considering retirement during a two-week holiday in Italy in September.
“If you were wondering, I turned my mind to this when I was trying to have a holiday with my partner,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“Everyone deserves a break … Finally, my mind was made up at national cabinet last week when I saw so many new faces.
“Renewal is a good thing.”
Ms Palaszczuk has been premier of Queensland since 2015 and served as the member for Inala since 2006.
She succeeded her father, Henry, in the western Brisbane seat.
Before she became a member of Queensland’s legislative assembly, Ms Palaszczuk was a political adviser and has led the Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party since 2012.
Ms Palaszczuk became a contentious figure during the Covid-19 pandemic, where she implemented strict border controls which ultimately led to low levels of the virus in the community for much of 2020 and 2021.
She recorded high approval ratings among Queensland voters and overwhelmingly defeated the Coalition in the 2020 state election.
The outgoing premier was the first woman leader in Australia to be re-elected.
In her announcement, she encouraged Queenslanders to “come say hello” if they saw her out and about in the future, telling them: “Don’t be a stranger”.