Qld election 2024: LNP’s mass text campaign blasted as dishonest

An LNP mass text campaign calling on voters to stop a so-called patients tax by changing the government has been slammed as dishonest. And now Labor has returned the favour.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli visits the Gold Coast Suns on Sunday. Picture: Tertius Pickard

An LNP mass text campaign calling on voters to stop a so-called patients tax by changing the government has been slammed as dishonest, with Treasurer Cameron Dick calling for it to stop.

And now Labor has hit back with a text barrage of its own.

Voters across the state began receiving messages claiming their Labor MP had “voted for Labor’s Patients Tax” and to “Stop Labor’s Patients Tax. Change the government” on Sunday — the day before early voting opens.

The text also directs voters to a website which carries an authorisation from LNP state director Ben Riley.

Mr Dick called for the LNP’s latest “scare campaign”, pretending to be a special interest group, to stop.

He said the government had committed to exempting GPs from payroll tax through law. Labor’s promise on the so-called patients tax came after the LNP promised to do the same.

An LNP spokesman argued Labor had tried to dance around the existence of the tax while the LNP had committed to removing it.

“If the Labor Party wishes to campaign on removing their own patients tax that would be welcomed by doctors and Queenslanders,” he said.

The patient tax stoush stems from a NSW tribunal ruling in 2022 which found GP clinics were liable for payroll tax, sparking calls by peak bodies like the RACGP and AMAQ for governments to exempt them or risk financially crippling the sector.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli, campaigning in the Gold Coast seat of Gaven on Sunday, sidestepped questions about whether the LNP was being misleading about the patients tax.

On Monday voters began receiving a counter-message from Labor which asserted the party would also be ensuring GPs don’t pay payroll tax.

Labor’s mass text also contained the misleading claim that LNP “lie to hide their planned health cuts”.

AMA Queensland president Dr Nick Yim. Picture: Image/Josh Woning

Labor’s text directs voters to Premier Steven Miles’ official 2024 election website.

Meanwhile, the AMAQ was forced to clarify that it did not endorse any political party after the LNP used its logo across flyers and the mass text campaign in a bid to add heft to its patients tax claims.

“AMA Queensland does not endorse any political party and we have not produced or distributed any election materials,” President Dr Nick Yim said.

“Both major parties have committed in the past fortnight to exempting general practice from this new tax, which is a great outcome for patients and practices.”

The LNP’s patient tax campaign also carried an endorsement by Saltwater Medical, a GP clinic in Caloundra owned and run by couple Jen Kettleton-Butler and Dr Nicole Kettleton-Butler.

Ms Kettleton-Butler, appearing alongside Oppostion Leader David Crisafulli in Caloundra, said she had been a life-long Labor voter and did not trust the government on its promised repeal of payroll tax requirements for GPs.

“It comes down to lack of confidence. I’ve seen them back flip time and time again on this,” she said.

Originally published as Qld election 2024: LNP’s mass text campaign blasted as dishonest