Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party announces his wife as deputy, slammed for ‘fake news’
Labor has hit out at Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party for repeatedly accusing them of planning a death tax in a “fake news” style campaign. It comes as Mr Palmer’s wife Anna was announced as the party’s Queensland deputy.
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Labor has hit out at Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party for repeatedly accusing them of planning a death tax in a “fake news” style campaign.
Mr Palmer’s party, which on Sunday appointed his wife Anna as Queensland deputy leader, has repeatedly claimed Labor is planning to reintroduce an inheritance tax on Queenslanders despite having no evidence of such a plan.
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In a statement announcing Mrs Palmer’s appointment, she accused the Palaszczuk Government of proposing a 20 per cent death tax.
“Queensland Labor has been responsible for a $120 billion debt blowout and now they want to take from the dead to balance their books,” she said.
Treasurer Cameron Dick said Mr Palmer’s claims were baseless.
“He was lying when he said it last time, he’s lying again when he says it now,” he said.
“It will never happen.”
The claims mirror a scare campaign that ran on social media during the federal campaign last year during which “fake news” posts claimed Bill Shorten was planning to reintroduce a death tax.
In announcing Mrs Palmer’s appointment, Queensland leader Greg Dowling said the Party Executive of Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party had unanimously endorsed Mrs Palmer for the deputy position.
The lawyer, chartered accountant and former executive at Rio Tinto is contesting the seat of Currumbin in the upcoming State Election.
Mrs Palmer took aim at Labor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic when her appointment was announced.
“Queenslanders need a new deal …,” she said.
“As a mother, I am appalled with how the current Queensland Labor Government is treating families.
“The Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young have shown no compassion or common sense during this pandemic.
“We have seen their true colours in the heartless treatment of Queenslanders, barring family members from hospital visits and attending funerals when there has been no sound medical grounds to do so.
“It’s time to give Labor the boot, we need a new deal for Queensland based on enterprise. We need to cut the red tape, eliminate payroll tax and eliminate land tax to make our state stronger and more competitive, and provide employment for our people.”
