Clive Palmer ‘pulling puppet strings of faceless LNP plotters’

Clive Palmer has been accused of ‘pulling the puppet strings’ of the ‘faceless men’ of Queensland’s LNP plotting against their leader.

Queensland LNP president David Hutchinson. Picture: AAP

Clive Palmer has been accused of “pulling the puppet strings” of the “faceless men” of Queensland’s Liberal National Party plotting against Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington.

Queensland government ministers went on the attack in parliament on Wednesday after The Australian revealed four senior LNP figures were working for Mr Palmer, the founder of a rival political party, the United Australia Party.

State Development Minister Kate Jones attacked LNP president David Hutchinson and former president Bruce McIver for being on the payroll of Mr Palmer’s companies. “By day they wear Palmer gold, by night they wear LNP blue … we’ve got Clive Palmer pulling puppet strings of the faceless men of the LNP who want Deb gone.”

Ms Jones also named LNP state executive members Malcolm Cole and Larry Anthony, whose SAS Group also does contracted work for Mr Palmer’s companies.

It follows Mr Hutchinson’s role at the weekend in leading a failed “backroom” challenge and leaked polling against Ms Frecklington suggesting she couldn’t beat Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at the October 31 election.

Mr Cole and Mr Anthony deny any involvement in the destabilisation campaign.

Ms Frecklington won unanimous support of the 38 LNP MPs to remain as leader on Monday, with LNP headquarters’ preferred leadership contender David Crisa­fulli ruling out a challenge.

Since then, Mr Hutchinson has fended off internal calls from federal and state LNP MPs to quit.

Ms Frecklington, who said she would not bow to the “backroom bully boys”, had called on Mr Hutchinson to “honour his commitment” to quit one of his dual roles if Mr Palmer’s United Australia Party were to contest the election.

The UAP has begun calling for candidate nominations to stand at the October poll, after the controversial billionaire and former federal MP registered the party in Queensland in April.

Ms Palaszczuk told parliament there was a “huge rift” in the LNP.

“In this time of a global pandemic … they are only interested in themselves,” she said.

Treasurer Cameron Dick questioned who was running the LNP. “Is it the Leader of the Opposition? Is it the president of the LNP? Or is it Clive Palmer?” Mr Dick said. “This is an unfit rabble unfit to govern Queensland.”