Annastacia Palaszczuk: The Politics of Being Me
Annastacia Palaszczuk + Frances Whiting
Powerhouse Theatre
#About the event
Duration: 60 minutes
7:30pm, Monday 27th April 2026
Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse
119 Lamington St, New Farm
When Annastacia Palaszczuk became leader of Queensland Labor, the joke went that her party's opposition caucus was so small it could fit inside a seven-seater Toyota Tarago. But the joke, as it turned out, wasn’t on her: in 2015, she became the first woman to win the premiership of Queensland from the opposition; in 2021, she made history again when she became Australia’s longest serving female government leader. In conversation with the wonderful Frances Whiting, Palaszczuk reveals the triumphs and struggles of her storied career, the challenges of life in the public eye and the truth of what it takes to win as a woman in politics.
#Artists
Annastacia Palaszczuk
Annastacia Palaszczuk is a prominent Australian leader who served as Premier of Queensland for three consecutive terms. As Premier, she led a government that oversaw the response to Covid-19 pandemic and championed an ambitious agenda of economic and social reform. A strong advocate for women, First Nations peoples, Veterans, and the Arts, she also drove economic growth and job creation — particularly in rural and regional Queensland. Annastacia is an avid supporter of Queensland and continues to be deeply inspired by the people she met while in office.
Frances Whiting
Frances Whiting is the bestselling author of the beloved coming-of-age novel, The Nocturnals. Her two previous novels, The Best Kind of Beautiful and Walking on Trampolines, are also critically acclaimed bestsellers. Frances is an award-winning journalist, the recipient of the prestigious Clarions Award for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism 2024, and a national multi award-winning feature writer. In 2027 her weekly newspaper column will turn 30 years old, awarding Frances the title of Australia's longest running Sunday columnist. The Nocturnals has been shortlisted for the 2026 Queensland Literary Awards Lord Mayor's People's Choice Book of the Year.
