With such a small base from which to work, some suggest it will be difficult for Labor to get its own backyard in order. So, with Labor victory now being thought of as a realistic possibility, we asked the leader her thoughts on what most would consider a miracle turnaround in fortune.

In response, Opposition leader Annastacia Palaszczuk penned her thoughts. Rather than edit the content, we thought it best to run in full, thereby allowing you to make up your own mind:

From Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk:

With just a year to go before Queenslanders are due to go to the polls I think they are beginning to appreciate the differences between the Newman LNP Government and the Labor Party.

Those differences will be sharpened in coming months.

The LNP came to office promising much. In particular the Premier in hisContract With Queensland promised to lower unemployment; cut the cost of living; and lead a government that had high standards and was open and accountable. None of these has come to fruition.

The past two years have been characterised by sackings, frontline service cuts, and a government lurching from crisis to crisis, from confrontation to confrontation. Its fight with public hospital specialists is just the latest.

In the past two years Labor has undertaken a huge job to reconnect with Queenslanders and to map out a positive alternative; to listen to Queenslanders; and to focus on their concerns.

As evidence of that, this week I am again driving around regional Queensland meeting and listening to people about the issues affecting them while the Premier is again overseas.

In particular we have been devoting a lot of effort to drafting policies that help people get a job — and you can’t battle the cost of living without one.

We have already released policies to bring back the Skilling Queenslanders for Work programs that were savagely cut by the LNP and our Ready for Work policy aimed at helping young people tackle the jobs market. We have also released our Charter of Queensland Workers’ Rights.

On other fronts we have released a policy to ensure child care centres and other early childhood facilities have the right to deny entry to unvaccinated children as a measure to protect other children and their own staff. We have also released our policy to combat Alcohol Fuelled Violence; and plans to bring back the Sentencing Advisory Council axed by the LNP.

All of these policies distinguish us from the LNP whose guiding principle is for the government to be “an enabler not a doer”. The LNP’s approach means privatisations and mass asset sales are logical steps for it to pursue as it is doing.

Labor takes a different view. We heard the message from voters at the 2012 election, that they do not support asset sales and privatisations.

Recent opinion polls show Labor has clawed back some ground since March 2012.

It is unusual for an Opposition to rebound and reclaim government within a single term, and our small base of eight MPs makes our task that much more difficult.

Right now we are a long way from reclaiming government and polls go up and down and will do so in the coming year.

We need to maintain the hard work we have been doing in the past two years to ensure we earn the votes and trust of Queenslanders.