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Queensland’s LNP has deleted a social media video using a selection of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s responses to fears about people needing to pay for COVID-19 tests to enter the state, after a complaint that it breached parliamentary rules.
The removal of the video, which took a segment of Ms Palaszczuk’s Question Time response to concerns that travellers would have to pay $150 for PCR tests, meant Labor MP Don Brown’s complaint was ultimately dismissed by Speaker Curtis Pitt this week.
The now-deleted video was published on LNP leader David Crisafulli’s Facebook page and the LNP’s Twitter account.Credit:Matt Dennien
A lack of clarity around the requirements for those hoping to enter the state from hotspots arose this month amid a feud between the Queensland and federal governments and accusations that the Morrison government was running a “backgrounding campaign”.
On Friday, after confirmation from both governments that SMS test results sent to people under the standard free national testing regime would be accepted, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath apologised for the confusion.
During the last parliamentary sitting week, LNP Deputy Leader David Janetzki also asked why the Palaszczuk government would not “cover the cost” of the test for those who had been stuck outside Queensland for months.
Ms Palaszczuk said it was her understanding the requirements were the same as those in some other states, and that her government wanted to keep Queenslanders safe. She then went on to talk about the border reopening roadmap, and said she also took such tests on her return from the Tokyo Olympics.
Amid a series of interjections, Ms Palaszczuk was said to have not paid for that test, to which she responded that it was for work reasons, before talking further about the state’s vaccine rollout.
The now-deleted video, which used parliamentary footage and was clipped to show the initial question and only a portion of Ms Palaszczuk’s response, was then published on LNP leader David Crisafulli’s Facebook page and later on the LNP’s Twitter account.
In his complaint to Mr Pitt the following day, Labor member for Capalaba Mr Brown argued the editing and posting of the video breached rules around misrepresenting comments by MPs and using parliamentary footage for political means.
Mr Brown, who was contacted for comment, asked Mr Pitt whether the matter should be referred to the ethics committee to consider whether the LNP “might be in contempt of the Assembly”.
He also submitted that Parliament Clerk Neil Laurie immediately request the video be removed to “reduce the harmful effect and unfair political advantage that could be gained by the misuse”.
“There is clear evidence that the Leader of the Opposition and the LNP have committed a serious breach of their obligation to the Parliament and to the people of Queensland,” he said.
But in his ruling, Mr Pitt noted the video had been removed following a request by Mr Laurie, and he would therefore not be referring the matter further.
Mr Brown also pointed to four other recent videos on Mr Crisafulli’s Facebook page that he said were examples of parliamentary footage taken out of context for political purposes, and he asked that Mr Laurie also request these be taken down. Those remained live as of Saturday evening.
Manager of Opposition Business Jarrod Bleijie said the matter was a continuation of “vexatious and political” complaints put forward by Mr Brown.
“If the Labor Party is so embarrassed about the things the Premier says in Parliament and doesn’t want the Queensland public to see it, the Premier should stop saying embarrassing things in Parliament,” he said.
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