One-term leader becomes Labor hero

Annastacia Palaszczuk. Photo / Supplied

Once known as a politician's daughter, Annastacia Palaszczuk has become a Labor hero in her own right after clawing the party back from the political wilderness in Queensland after just one term.

Palaszczuk, 45, has done almost the unthinkable by leading Labor to the cusp of victory after it was left with seven seats in the state's 89-seat Parliament in 2012.

The Labor leader was born in 1969 in Durack, in southwestern Brisbane.

Henry Palaszczuk, who was succeeded in the Inala electorate by his daughter in 2006, on election night spoke of her tenacity, saying she was probably the only person who thought Labor could be in a position to win.

"To achieve the result that she did achieve is a real credit to her," he said proudly. "She was relentless, she was determined, she formulated policies."

Palaszczuk became Opposition leader in 2012 after being just one of three people left in Labor's team with previous ministerial experience.

In her 20s, Palaszczuk completed degrees in arts and law from the University of Queensland, a Master of Arts from the London School of Economics, and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from Australian National University. She was a policy adviser to several Labor ministers before entering Parliament in 2006.

Focus will now be on her ability to lead a government on the back of Labor's modest election promises and lack of a serious alternative plan.

Labor pledged A$1.6 billion compared with about A$6 billion from the Liberal National Party and delayed the release of several key policy announcements, including an infrastructure plan.

Palaszczuk has pledged to lead a "consensus government" and has set up several taskforces to help develop policy or decide spending.

- AAP