Queensland Premier

The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland.

By convention the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is appointed by the Governor of Queensland.

The incumbent premier of Queensland since the 2015 election is Annastacia Palaszczuk of the Labor Party.

Constitutional role

Under section 42 of the Constitution of Queensland the premier and other members of Cabinet are appointed by the Governor and are collectively responsible to Parliament. The text of the Constitution assigns to the premier certain powers, such as the power to assign roles (s. 25) to Assistant Ministers (formerly known as Parliamentary Secretaries), and to appoint Ministers as acting Ministers (s. 45) for a period of 14 days.

In practice, under the conventions of the Westminster System followed in Queensland, the premier's power is derived from two sources: command of a majority in the Legislative Assembly, and the premier's role as chair of Cabinet, determining the appointment and roles of Ministers. Although ministerial appointments are the prerogative of the Governor of Queensland, in normal circumstances the Governor will make these appointments under the "advice" (in reality, direction) of the premier.

Immediately following an election for the Legislative Assembly, the Governor will call on the leader of the party which commands a majority in the Legislative Assembly to become Premier and ask them to commission a government. A re-elected government will be resworn, with adjustments to the ministry as determined by the premier.

Prior to the existence of political parties within the Leglislative Assembly, to become Premier, that member had to be able to command the support of a majority of the individual members of the assembly; this group of members were known informally as ''Ministerialists'', while those who did not support the member who became Premier were known informally as ''Oppositionists'' (or the Opposition).

Premier's office

The premier has an office in the Executive Annexe of Parliament House, Brisbane, which is normally used while Parliament is sitting. At other times the premier's ministerial office is in 1 William Street, which is across the road from the Executive Annexe.

List of premiers of Queensland

Before the 1890s, there was no developed party system in Queensland. Political affiliation labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. Before the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, political parties were more akin to parliamentary factions, and were fluid, informal and disorganised by modern standards.

Statistics

The median age of a premier on the first day of their first term is roughly 48 years, and 240 days which falls between Russell Cooper and John Douglas. The youngest person to assume the office was Robert Herbert at 28 years and 181 days. The oldest person to assume office was Frank Cooper at 70 years and 62 days.

The oldest living former premier is Russell Cooper, born 4 February 1941 (age ). The youngest living former premier is Campbell Newman, born 12 August 1963, (age ). The youngest living premier is the incumbent Annastacia Palaszczuk, born 25 July 1969, (age ).

The longest-lived premier was Joh Bjelke-Petersen who died on 23 April 2005 at the age of 94 years and 100 days. Arthur Edward Moore was the second longest-lived premier, aged 86 years and 332 days, 7 years and 232 days short of Bjelke-Petersen. Bjelke-Petersen surpassed Moore's lifespan on 11 December 1997. The oldest living premier, Russell Cooper, will tie Moore if he lives to 2 January 2028, and tie Bjelke-Petersen if he lives to 15 May 2035. The shortest-lived Premier was Thomas Joseph Byrnes who died in office at the age of 37 years and 320 days on 27 September 1898.

The premier with the longest retirement is Robert Herbert. He left office on 7 August 1866, and died 38 years and 272 days later on 6 May 1905. The premier with the shortest retirement is James Dickson, who died on 10 January 1901, 1 year and 40 days after leaving office on 1 December 1899.

Updated daily according to UTC.

Living former premiers

As of , six former premiers are alive, the oldest being Russell Cooper (1989, born 1941). The most recent premier to die was Wayne Goss (1951–2014), on 10 November 2014.

Oldest living premiers of Queensland

Not all premiers live to become the oldest of their time. Of the 32 deceased premiers, 14 eventually became the oldest of their time, while 18 did not (including all 3 premiers who died in office, and 15 others). Joh Bjelke-Petersen became the oldest living premier when Vince Gair died in 1980 and remained so until his death in 2005, for a record 24 years and 163 days. Hugh Nelson became the oldest living premier after the death of Robert Herbert, but he survived Herbert by only 240 days.

On two occasions the oldest living premier lost this distinction not by his death, but due to the appointment of a premier who was older. Robert Herbert lost this distinction when Arthur Macalister was appointed, but when John Douglas died in 1904 Herbert regained it again until his own death in 1905 for a total period of 6 years and 340 days. Arthur Macalister lost this distinction when Robert Mackenzie was appointed, but regained it again when Mackenzie died in 1875, Consequently, Macalister too was the oldest living premier twice: first from 1866 to 1867 (from first appointment), and a second time from Mackenzie's death in 1873 until his own death in 1883 for a total period of 10 years and 15 days.

Vince Gair was the oldest to acquire this distinction at the age of 76 years, and 338 days. Gordon Chalk, who was aged 77 years, and 345 days when he died, on 26 April 1991 was the oldest premier to die without ever acquiring this distinction. Wayne Goss who was aged 63 years and 257 days when he died on 10 November 2014 is the most recent premier to die without ever acquiring this distinction.

Graphical timeline

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from:1914 till:1918 text:"World War I" shift:(25,7) align:left
from:1939 till:1945 text:"World War II" shift:(25,0) align:left

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from:1859 till:1866 color:NON $right text:" 1859-1866_Robert Herbert"
from:1866 till:1866 color:NON $left text:" Arthur Macalister_1866" shift:(,-10)
from:1866 till:1867 color:NON $right text:"1866-1867_Robert Herbert (second time)"
from:1867 till:1868 color:NON $left text:" Robert Mackenzie_1867-1868"
from:1868 till:1870 color:NON $right text:" 1868-1870_Charles Lilley"
from:1870 till:1874 color:NON $left text:" Arthur Palmer_1870-1874"
from:1874 till:1876 color:NON $right text:"1874-1876_Arthur Macalister (second time)"
from:1876 till:1877 color:NON $left text:" George Thorn_1876-1877"
from:1877 till:1879 color:NON $right text:" 1877-1879_John Douglas"
from:1879 till:1883 color:CON $left text:" Thomas McIlwraith_1879-1883"
from:1883 till:1888 color:LIB $right text:" 1883-1888_Samuel Griffith"
from:1888 till:1888 color:CON $left text:"(second time)_Thomas McIlwraith_1888" # shift:(-100,-5)
from:1888 till:1890 color:CON $right text:" 1888-1890_Boyd Morehead"
from:1890 till:1893 color:COM $left text:"(second time) Samuel Griffith_1890-1893"
from:1893 till:1893 color:COM $right text:"1893_Sir Thomas McIlwraith (third time)"
from:1893 till:1898 color:COM $left text:" Hugh Nelson_1893-1898"
from:1898 till:1898 color:COM $right text:" 1898_Thomas Joseph Byrnes"
from:1898 till:1899 color:COM $left text:" James Dickson_1898-1899"
from:1899 till:1899 color:ALP $right text:" 1899_Anderson Dawson"
from:1899 till:1903 color:COM $left text:" Robert Philp_1899-1903" # shift:(-100,-5)
from:1903 till:1906 color:QLI $right text:" 1903-1906_Arthur Morgan"
from:1906 till:1907 color:ALP $left text:" William Kidston_1906-1907"
from:1907 till:1908 color:CON $right text:"1907-1908_Robert Philp (second time)"
from:1908 till:1911 color:QLI $left text:"(second time) William Kidston_1908-1911"
from:1911 till:1915 color:QLI $right text:" 1911-1915_Digby Denham"
from:1915 till:1919 color:ALP $left text:" Thomas Joseph Ryan_1915-1919"
from:1919 till:1925 color:ALP $right text:" 1919-1925_Ted Theodore"
from:1925 till:1925 color:ALP $left text:" William Gillies_1925"
from:1925 till:1929 color:ALP $right text:" 1925-1929_William McCormack"
from:1929 till:1932 color:CPN $left text:" Arthur Edward Moore_1929-1932"
from:1932 till:1942 color:ALP $right text:" 1932-1942_William Forgan Smith"
from:1942 till:1946 color:ALP $left text:" Frank Cooper_1942-1946"
from:1946 till:1952 color:ALP $right text:" 1946-1952_Ned Hanlon"
from:1952 till:1957 color:ALP $left text:" Vince Gair_1952-1957"
from:1957 till:1968 color:CNT $right text:" 1957-1968_Francis Nicklin"
from:1968 till:1968 color:CNT $left text:" Jack Pizzey_1968"
from:1968 till:1968 color:LIB $right text:" 1968_Gordon Chalk"
from:1968 till:1987 color:CNT $left text:" Joh Bjelke-Petersen_1968-1987"
from:1987 till:1989 color:CNT $right text:" 1987-1989_Michael Ahern"
from:1989 till:1989 color:CNT $left text:" Russell Cooper_1989"
from:1989 till:1996 color:ALP $right text:" 1989-1996_Wayne Goss"
from:1996 till:1998 color:CNT $left text:" Rob Borbidge_1996-1998"
from:1998 till:2007 color:ALP $right text:" 1998-2007 Peter Beattie"
from:2007 till:2012 color:ALP $left text:" 2007-2012 Anna Bligh"
from:2012 till:2015 color:LNP $right text:" 2012-2015 Campbell Newman"
from:2015 till:end color:ALP $left text:" 2015-present Annastacia Palaszczuk"

See also

* List of premiers of Queensland by time in office
* Government of Queensland
* Politics of Queensland

References

Notes

Citations

External links

{{Australian premiers

*
Queensland, Premiers
Premiers