Libs, Nats must disassociate themselves from Palmer as Coalition gags Senate debate

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown today called in the Senate for the leadership of the Liberal and National parties to disassociate themselves from the defamatory claims made by billionaire Clive Palmer against the Queensland Greens candidates for Saturday's election.

"Clive Palmer, one of the Liberal and National parties' largest donors, has made untrue claims aimed at damaging the Greens three days out from the election. Tony Abbott and Campbell Newman have failed to disassociate themselves from the false remarks made by Mr Palmer," Senator Brown said.

"Mr Palmer's coal mine proposals, as well as damaging Queensland's environment, will suck 2,000 jobs out of the non-mining sector of Queensland's economy according to his own company's consultants.

"I challenge Mr Palmer to drop his false conspiracy assertions and, instead, publicly debate Queensland's future with star Greens' candidate for Mt Coot-tha Adam Stone, or Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters. Meantime, Mr Newman should repudiate Mr Palmer's offensive, fabricated claims," Senator Brown said.

In the Senate this morning, the Coalition succeeded in gagging debate on Senator Brown's motion:

I move that the Senate calls on the Liberals and the Nationals to condemn the defamatory comments, regarding the Greens, Mr Drew Hutton, Greenpeace and others, of their major supplicant Clive Palmer.