Annastacia Palaszczuk’s holidays: Queensland Premier hits back with very sassy message

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has hit back with a sassy social media post from Italy after coming under fire for her second European trip within months.

Ms Palaszczuk is enjoying a holiday in Naples and the Amalfi Coast despite bad polling, a youth crime wave and a cost of living crisis in her home state.

After being ambushed by media in Naples – where her partner, surgeon Dr Reza Adib, is speaking at a medical conference – Ms Palaszczuk unleashed on Facebook.

‘I am on leave. Everyone is entitled to leave. I ask that the media respects my privacy. Steven Miles is Acting Premier. I return on September 11,’ she posted on Wednesday morning.

Critics have labelled Ms Palaszczuk a part-time premier, with insiders claiming she had ‘checked out’ from her job and appeared more interested in going to red carpet events and festivals.

Over the weekend, reports in The Courier-Mail highlighted concerns among senior Labor figures regarding Ms Palaszczuk’s ability to lead the party to re-election.

When questioned about the potential destabilisation of her leadership in Naples, Ms Palaszczuk declined to comment.

‘No, I am on holiday. I don’t want to say anything,’ she told The Australian.

She added that she had been dealing with ‘health issues’.

Dr Adib said the presence of photographers outside the hotel was embarrassing because he was ‘surrounded by thousands of my colleagues’.

Ms Palaszczuk’s outburst came after it was revealed she had spent more time this year on holidays than in parliament.

The premier will have clocked up 37 days of leave in 2023 by the time she returns from her latest holiday, including a three-week break in January, which was also spent in Europe.

However, she has only been present for 25 sitting days in parliament this year, as well as a three-and-a-half-hour budget estimates hearing earlier this month.

Ms Palaszczuk’s office has branded the comparison ‘ridiculous and offensive’.

‘The number of days parliament sits does not reflect the number of days the Premier is at work,’ a spokeswoman told The Courier-Mail.

‘The Premier works tirelessly for the benefit of Queenslanders every single day.’

In recent months, Ms Palaszczuk has attended concerts by Harry Styles, Rod Stewart, Michael Buble and Ed Sheeran, as well as a Moulin Rouge theatre show and  several NRL and State of Origin games.

She also enjoyed a break in Sydney over the June long weekend, where she was spotted strolling around Circular Quay hand-in-hand with her partner.

Most recently, she was seen by revellers enjoying Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay and was in the stands cheering on the Matildas in Brisbane during the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup.

A fired up Annastacia Palaszczuk took to Facebook on Wednesday morning amid growing speculation about her leadership

Annastacia Palaszczuk is pictured at a Harry Styles concert on the Gold Coast earlier this year

The state Opposition is leading a growing chorus of renewed calls for Ms Palaszczuk to resign.

‘Queenslanders believe the Premier has checked out and won’t buy Labor’s paper-thin excuses,’ Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie said.

Despite the mounting pressure, Ms Palaszczuk is tipped next year to overtake Peter Beattie to become Labor’s longest-serving premier since 1942.

She has served as Queensland premier for more than eight years and steered Labor to three consecutive election victories.

Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured right) was recently spotted amongst revellers living it up at Splendour in the Grass in Bryon Bay 

Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured right cheering on the Matildas as the  FIFA Women’s Cup semi final) will return to work September 11