Police Commissioner forced to defend herself after conspiracy claim

Queensland’s Police service has publicly called out Clive Palmer for spreading misinformation on social media, tweeting that Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll had not been vaccinated.

The Queensland Police Service has publicly called out Clive Palmer for spreading misinformation about the vaccination status of the Police Commissioner and senior officers.

Via a series of tweets posted by the United Australia Party, Mr Palmer claimed to have “revealed” Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll had exempted herself from the Queensland Police Service’s vaccination mandate while requiring her troops to get the jab or face suspension - even though she was able to immediately produce her vaccination certificate.

Palmer accuses Police Commissioner of double standards

UAP Chairman Clive Palmer revealed today that a reliable source had informed him that QLD Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll had exempted herself and many senior QPS executives from mandated COVID-19 vaccinations.

— United Australia (@UnitedAusParty) November 18, 2021

“I have it from a source close to the Police Commissioner that up to 126 senior police including the Commissioner herself have been granted exemptions from the QPS staff COVID vaccination mandate,’’ @CliveFPalmer#QLDPOL#Mandates#Freedom

— United Australia (@UnitedAusParty) November 18, 2021

“Why would the Police Commissioner and senior executives be exempted? Is it possible that they have information about the vaccine that the rest of us do not?”#vaccines#COVID19#qldpol#Mandates

— United Australia (@UnitedAusParty) November 18, 2021

“UAP Chairman Clive Palmer revealed today that a reliable source had informed him that QLD Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll had exempted herself and many senior QPS executives from mandated COVID-19 vaccinations,” the tweet read.

“I have it from a source close to the Police Commissioner that up to 126 senior police including the Commissioner herself have been granted exemptions from the QPS staff Covid vaccination mandate,’’ the tweet quoted Mr Palmer as saying.

“If this is the situation, what an extraordinary case of double standards to be putting themselves above other police officers and frontline workers such as nurses.

“Why would the Police Commissioner and senior executives be exempted? Is it possible that they have information about the vaccine that the rest of us do not?”

Commissioner Katarina Carroll. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The QPS Twitter account responded to the thread with: “This is not true. The vaccine mandate applies to all QPS members. The Commissioner is fully vaccinated.”

This is not true. The vaccine mandate applies to all QPS members. The Commissioner is fully vaccinated.

— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) November 18, 2021

Ms Carroll posted her vaccination certificate on her Instagram stories.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has been forced to respond to a conspiracy theory about her vaccination status.

Ms Carroll laughed when asked about the claims at a press conference today, flashing her vaccine certificate to journalists on the screen of her phone.

“I was really disappointed about Clive doing that because I would have thought if you were going to say something about me publicly, you should check with me first whether I have been vaccinated,” she said.

“I got the AstraZeneca by the way. And my second one was in June.

“All senior executive are vaccinated, myself included.

“I think what he was alluding to was an independent body within the organisation that looks at exemptions when they come through.

“So certainly there have been exemptions given in the organisation with the advice of a medical practitioner, so it’s not made in isolation … and we’ve taken great care to make sure that the right people get those exemptions.”

She said 99.5 per cent of the Queensland Police Service was fully vaccinated, with 90 police officers and 66 staff members who are not.

“However, I’m quietly confident that those numbers will improve as well,” Ms Carroll said.

“So next time Clive, can you come and talk to me and we can have a conversation behind the scenes rather than putting it out on Twitter. It would help.”

Originally published as Police Commissioner forced to defend herself after conspiracy claim