Former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s post-politics memoir aimed at encouraging young women into politics has been highly anticipated since her sudden retirement from state parliament in late 2023.
The book, titled The Politics of Being Me, details Palaszczuk’s path from a Labor-strong household to running the state, referencing many friends, colleagues and foes along the way.
One who straddles at least one of those categories, however, does not appear once in the 320-page book releasing publicly on Tuesday: long-time cabinet colleague Shannon Fentiman.
Fentiman, the now-shadow treasurer who had been attorney-general and minister for health and women under Palaszczuk, was one of three figures widely touted as a future leadership contender as questions built about the party’s future across 2023.
The senior Left faction figure briefly contested the role in December 2023, before withdrawing to allow the uncontested elevation of faction leader and Palaszczuk’s anointed successor, Steven Miles.
Both Miles and Cameron Dick, who was of Palaszczuk’s minority Right faction, receive favourable endorsements – despite Dick having been pushed by some in the party as a potential alternative for Palaszczuk, both before the Newman landslide and during the opposition term which followed.
Other cabinet and caucus colleagues over the years singled out across the book’s 25-chapters as having had close relationships include Grace Grace, Stirling Hinchliffe, Kate Jones, Yvette D’Ath, Tim Mulherin and Vicky Darling.
Despite having previously been “bitter factional enemies”, Mark Bailey is also referenced glowingly as a hard-working and loyal colleague. Jonty Bush, Jones’ successor in the seat of Cooper who often spoke out under Palaszczuk on justice issues, is also referenced favourably.
Other elected party figures who appear in the book include, Jackie Trad, Leeanne Enoch, Di Farmer, Wendy Bourne, Mark Ryan and Curtis Pitt.
In one chapter, titled “The painful past returns”, Australia’s longest-serving female premier offers new insight into then opposition leader Deb Frecklington’s 2019 “princess Palaszczuk” attack.
The comments, given by Frecklington in an extensive interview with News Corp 10-months out from the looming state election, suggested Palaszczuk had become focused on appearances and designer labels while Frecklington had to remain grounded with a husband and kids.
Many leapt to Palaszczuk’s defence at the time, including friends who noted Palaszczuk had openly spoken about miscarriage, IVF and endometriosis. Palaszczuk largely declined to be drawn in.
In her book, Palaszczuk addresses the negative reactions aimed at Frecklington, while noting she was, at the end of the day, the LNP leader and responsible for decisions which were made.
“I had watched Deb in parliament over the years, and this seemed out of character for her. I don’t think it was her idea. I don’t believe it was her own strategy,” Palaszczuk writes.
“You’d have to ask her yourself, but it just didn’t seem like her. I think it was the men behind her who were directing the strategy, and I believe it was a deliberate LNP strategy.
“It’s certainly not atypical for that sort of strategy to be used against a woman. Look what our first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, copped.”
In an exclusive pre-publication interview with News Corp, Palaszczuk said she wrote the book mostly to encourage other women, particularly young women, to back themselves in life and consider a political career.
An excerpt published on Sunday detailed her decision to step down, said by Palaszczuk to have been “100 per cent” her own decision despite speculation otherwise. In it she also writes about being pursued by media while on a trip to Naples with partner Dr Reza Adib in September 2023.
“I wouldn’t say Naples was the catalyst for my decision to leave politics, because I’d been thinking about it for months, but it certainly gave me more food for thought,” Palaszczuk writes.
After the last parliamentary sitting of the year in late November, media speculation emerged that Palaszczuk might be moving on “promoting this person or that person as the next premier,” she writes.
“All I’d say about that is: every single backbencher wants to be a minister. And every minister wants to be premier. There’s always going to be ambition. There’s always going to be people who are openly ambitious, and people who would never be suited to the job but who think they can do the job.”
Acknowledgments at the book’s end begin with a thank you to “incredible friend and business mentor Sarina Russo”, the rich-list regular and Queensland businesswoman who Palaszczuk writes organised her meeting with Max Markson, the celebrity agent who would go on to represent her.
“They both convinced me to undertake this work after a lunch in Sydney,” Palaszczuk writes. “I hope this book inspires the next generation to make a difference and contribute to their community in any way that they can.”
Annastacia Palaszczuk: The Politics of Being Me, published by Harper Collins, is out Tuesday.
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