Premier of Queensland


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 to Assistant Ministers, and to appoint Ministers as acting Ministers 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" 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, and ask them to commission a government. A re-elected government will be resworn, with adjustments to the ministry as determined by the Premier.

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.

Living former premiers

, six former premiers are alive, the oldest being Russell Cooper. The most recent premier to die was Wayne Goss, on 10 November 2014.
NameTerm as premierDate of birth
Mike Ahern1987–1989
Russell Cooper1989
Rob Borbidge1996–1998
Peter Beattie1998–2007
Anna Bligh2007–2012
Campbell Newman2012–2015

Graphical timeline


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id:LNP value:rgb legend:Liberal_National
id:CON value:dullyellow legend:Conservative
id:COM value:orange legend:Continuous_Ministry
id:ALP value:red legend:Labor_Party
id:QLI value:skyblue legend:Liberal
id:CPN value:green legend:CPNP
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mark: fontsize:S shift:
width:33 shift: align:right color:War fontsize:S textcolor:war
from:1914 till:1918 text:"World War I" shift: align:left
from:1939 till:1945 text:"World War II" shift: align:left
width:29 color:black textcolor:black
width:25

from:1859 till:1866 color:NON $right text:"1859-1866_Robert Herbert"
from:1866 till:1866 color:NON $left text:"Arthur Macalister_1866" shift:
from:1866 till:1867 color:NON $right text:"1866-1867_Robert Herbert "
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 "
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:"_Thomas McIlwraith_1888" # shift:
from:1888 till:1890 color:CON $right text:"1888-1890_Boyd Morehead"
from:1890 till:1893 color:COM $left text:" Samuel Griffith_1890-1893"
from:1893 till:1893 color:COM $right text:"1893_Sir Thomas McIlwraith "
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:
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 "
from:1908 till:1911 color:QLI $left text:" 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"