Annastacia Palaszczuk can perhaps be forgiven for indulging in a little rest and relaxation after she ruptured her Achilles’ tendon in a freak accident.
The former Queensland leader, who was dubbed a ‘part-time Premier’ by her critics, was spotted placing her crutches to one side, sticking her feet up and knocking back a glass of champagne on the balcony of her surgeon boyfriend’s Burleigh Heads apartment on Saturday.
Ms Palaszczuk, 54, was rushed to hospital over a week ago after she either slipped on tiles or fell down stairs at her boyfriend Dr Reza Adib’s luxury unit, 4BC radio host Peter Gleeson revealed last week.
But her ruptured Achilles appeared to be slowly on the mend as she appeared to be hobbling around without the aid of her moon boot.
Ms Palaszczuk, who was wearing a light pink shirt and had her hair tied back, left her crutches propped against the table and enjoyed some snacks and a flute of champagne with a female companion on Saturday afternoon.
Annastacia Palaszczuk, the former Queensland Premier, was spotted putting her crutches to one side, sticking her feet up and knocking back a glass of champagne on the balcony of her surgeon boyfriend’s Burleigh Heads apartment on Saturday (pictured)
Ms Palaszczuk, who was wearing a light pink shirt and had her hair tied back, left her crutches propped against the table and enjoyed some snacks and a flute of champagne with a female companion (pictured)
At one stage, Ms Palaszczuk was seen removing her glasses in an attempt to read her phone screen with a stern expression on her face.
Perhaps the former frontline politician was reading up on her imminent appearance on ABC’s documentary series Nemesis, which charts the political backstabbing in the turbulent Coalition Government between 2013 and 2022.
The former Labor Premier is to appear in the third and final episode of the series which will air on Monday night.
Ms Palaszczuk will recall how she hung up on Scott Morrison in September 2020 when she felt ‘extremely threatened’ by the then Prime Minister over a request to grant someone an exemption to Queensland’s strict Covid travel restrictions.
‘I was quite upset and then I was just quite angry because it’s actually very disrespectful … and I think it also expresses the way in which he may treat women,’ Ms Palaszczuk told the ABC.
On Sunday, Ms Palaszczuk returned to the balcony, this time sticking both her feet up on a chair and enjoying a moment of quiet contemplation before Dr Adib came out to chat to her.
She appeared to be in high spirits despite her injury, which can take anywhere between four to six months to fully heal.
It is unclear whether she will require surgery to repair the tendon.
It’s understood Ms Palaszczuk and her partner returned home a fortnight ago after holidaying in Canada.
The freak accident comes just over two months after Ms Palaszczuk fought back tears as she declared she was stepping away down from politics in a shock announcement.
At one stage, Ms Palaszczuk could be seen removing her glasses in an attempt to read her phone screen, a stern expression on her face
Ms Palaszczuk went public with her relationship in 2021, ending months of speculation
The 54-year-old plans to recover at her partner’s palatial Burleigh Heads apartment. Mr Adib also owns a $6.25million mansion in Indooroopilly.
The half acre plot purchased by the surgeon in 2010 has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, views of the Brisbane River and an infinity pool.
The mansion was inspired by traditional 14th century Italian villas and features towering arches, courtyards and mammoth stone pillars in the garden.
The couple have been dating for more than two years with Dr Adib a well-known surgeon who’s also the CEO of Brisbane Obesity Clinic.
Ms Palaszczuk went public with her relationship on September 3, 2021, ending months of speculation the pair were dating.
On Sunday, Ms Palaszczuk returned to the balcony, this time sticking both her feet up on a chair and enjoying a moment of quiet contemplation
She appeared to be in high spirits despite her injury, which can take anywhere between four to six months to fully heal
Dr Adib (pictured) does not have a strong social media presence and had rarely been in the news prior to his relationship with Ms Palaszczuk
The former premier, who was steering her state through the Covid pandemic when she first confirmed the relationship, described Dr Adib as a ‘gorgeous man’.
In August 2023, the pair took an official holiday to Italy, with the tranquil vacation interrupted by paparazzi who tracked the pair down in Naples.
In a statement on social media at the time, Ms Palaszczuk asked the media to respect her privacy while she was on leave for two weeks.
‘I am on leave. Everyone is entitled to leave,’ she said.
Ms Palaszczuk referenced the Italy trip during her resignation speech in December as the final straw which prompted the move to resign.
Ms Palaszczuk and Dr Adib attend the state funeral for Bill Hayden in November
‘I turned my mind to this when I was trying to have a holiday with my partner, and everyone deserves a break,’ she said.
Dr Adib does not have a strong social media presence and had rarely been in the news prior to his relationship with Ms Palaszczuk.
A by-election for Ms Palaszczuk’s seat of Inala in Brisbane’s southwest will be held on March 16 – the same day as local government elections.
The successful candidate will be Inala’s first state member for more than 31 years without the Palaszczuk surname.
Annastacia Palaszczuk represented Inala from September 2006 and was preceded by her father Henry Palaszczuk, who represented the electorate from 1992.
Inala is currently regarded as the safest seat in Queensland with Labor tipped to suffer a swing against them in next month’s by-election.
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