Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she's not "scared" of the threat Pauline Hanson's One Nation party could pose to her government at the next election, as Labor confronts the reality it's manoeuvres to ensure its survival at the polls may have opened the door to One Nation influencing the outcome.
In a controversial move, Labor orchestrated the end of optional preferential voting and ending the 'just vote 1' strategy, hijacking an LNP bill with an amendment legislating compulsory preferences.
It was designed to save Labor seats in danger of falling to the Greens, with internal polling showing several seats, including Deputy Premier Jackie Trad's and Environment Minister Steven Miles' were in danger of falling to an emerging Green vote.
But former premier Peter Beattie, writing for News Corp, has also warned it could lead to a resurgence of One Nation in the state parliament. The party was formed in Queensland and has traditionally seen its strongest support come from the sunshine state.
Mr Beattie said Labor's strategy to force preferences could come back to bite it, particularly in regional areas, which felt disenchanted with the major parties.
"Green preferences will influence the outcome of a handful of inner-city Brisbane federal and state seats but One Nation preferences could well determine who wins the next Queensland state election now that Queensland has compulsory preferential voting," he wrote.
Ms Palaszczuk said she had taken Mr Beattie's warning on board, but believed her government would secure Queenslander's support.
"At the end of the day, Queenslanders at the next election will judge the parties on how they deliver," she said from the Sunshine Coast, where the government was announcing $6 million for a wildlife hospital.
"What you have seen over the last two years under my government is a very strong budget focus on delivering health and education services right across the state.
"... That is going to be the key to the next election, about whether or not the parties connect with people and whether or not the parties deliver for people.
"And my government is out there each and every day, listening to Queenslanders, making sure we deliver the very best health and education services across the state, making sure we have a strong infrastructure program delivering jobs across our state and making sure we are responsive to the needs of the communities."
Ms Palaszczuk said while she understood Mr Beattie's concerns, she also believed Labor was addressing the issues which saw One Nation emerge as a political force in the first place.
"He is saying very clearly and I take this on board that the parties need to connect with the community," she said.
"There is nothing more important than that.
"That is exactly what I did when I was in Opposition - for three years, I travelled around and listened. And now in government, I am delivering for the people of Queensland - I listened and now we are delivering."
She said she was not afraid of Ms Hanson.
"I am definitely not scared, because at the end of the day, the people of Queensland will look to the party that is delivering for them, and the Labor Party, under my government, is listening and we are delivering," she said.
In 1998, the party led by Ms Hanson won 11 seats and 23 per cent of the vote, under the optional preferential voting system.
Queensland was left with a hung parliament after the 2015 election and after losing two MPs, both parties are deadlocked with 42 MPs each. Polling in the time since the election has not seen either Labor or the LNP emerge as clear favourite.
With the half way point of Ms Palaszczuk's government approaching next month, talk has turned to the next election, with the premier able to call it anytime from August.
Most expect it to be held next year, with Labor now hoping to capitalise on what it sees as inevitable chaos in the federal coalition, which is still short of the seats it needs to form a majority government.
One Nation is on track for two Senate seats, which will see the return of Ms Hanson to the federal parliament, with the possibility of taking four.
