Union leaders reportedly held ‘frank talks’ with Annastacia Palaszczuk days before her resignation as Queensland Premier

Annastacia Palaszczuk resigned as Queensland Premier just days after she is said to have engaged in “frank” discussions with union bosses.

Ms Palaszczuk was urged by powerbroker and union leader Gary Bullock as well as Queensland ALP president John Battams to consider her future in the days leading up to her resignation, according to The Australian.

Union leaders were reportedly expected to raise concerns with the Premier during their quarterly meeting with cabinet ministers this week.

The departing premier’s popularity has drastically declined over the past few months, with union leaders last month declaring Ms Palaszczuk needed to reconsider her future as they began gauging interest in possible leadership alternatives.

Unions even threatened to cut campaign spending for the Labor Party ahead of the 2024 state election if the premier refused to step aside.

“There are new caps on donations introduced under this government and so Labor isn’t flush with cash, and they will need the unions to run some big third party campaigns,’’ a union leader told The Australian in November.

“We will be reviewing what our spend will be, looking for the best value for our union member’s money to back a leadership team we think can win the next election. We don’t believe she (Ms Palaszczuk) can win.”

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce claimed to Sunrise host Nat Barr on Monday morning that “union thugs” played a part in Ms Palaszczuk’s resignation.

“I think we know why she has gone. The union thugs have got in there and said she is going full stop and then we’ll see Cameron (Dick) and (Steven) Miles scratch each other’s eyes out to become the next (premier),” Mr Joyce said.

“They keep saying they will refocus the government. If you are going to refocus the government, what were they doing for the last nine years? You are part of the government that apparently was not focused.

“I wish Annastacia Palaszczuk all the very best,” he added.

“It was remarkable that she became the premier for nine years…so well done to Anna but this is not by Anna’s choosing. This is by her union thugs choosing. We will see the interesting process of people scratching out each other’s eyes to do a different job.”

The Premier announced her shock retirement on Sunday, telling reporters she had “given everything” to her job but that it was time to “find out what else life has to offer”.

Public polling across August and September revealed the dire state of Ms Palaszczuk’s popularity, with Labor behind the LNP among women by a margin of 53-47.

The LNP led among men overall 58-42 while also leading in north Queensland, central Queensland and south-east Queensland.