A Queensland newspaper has apologised for disappointing readers after a front page image of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in a gunsight's crosshairs sparked outrage.
The Sunshine Coast Daily, published by News Corp Australia, ran the picture on Monday with the headline "Anna, you're next" and the subheadline "Labor rout puts Premier in crosshairs".
The newspaper says it intended to highlight Labor's poor performance in the federal election in Queensland.
But it infuriated members of the public, and the government, with acting police minister Craig Crawford saying it could incite violence and put the premier's life at risk.
The state government demanded a public apology and for the image be removed from the paper's website.
The paper initially refused in an email to the premier's department and a complaint to the Australian Press Council was lodged.
By Tuesday, after being "inundated" by letters and complaints, the publication admitting they'd got their message wrong.
Editor Craig Warhurst said in a statement it was poor choice of imagery and the paper did not condone any sort of violence against women or politicians.
"For those of you in the community who feel let down and betrayed by the image, I apologise," he wrote.
An apology has also been made to Ms Palaszczuk from the "top of the News Corp tree", a government spokesman told AAP.
Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women Di Farmer said politicians were "fair game" for the slings and arrows of political life, but the image they used was inappropriate.
"Encouraging violence towards a woman or a man in this way is inappropriate," she told reporters.
Attorney General Yvette D'Ath used social media to call for an end to personal attacks.
"I'm sick of this level of disrespect at a time when we are trying to educate against bullying and violence."
