Liberal senator compares border closure to death of George Floyd

A Liberal Party senator has caused outrage by apparently comparing Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to the American cop accused of murdering George Floyd.

In an interview on Sky News last week, Senator Amanda Stoker said Queensland’s state border should be removed immediately to rescue tourism businesses.

But her choice of words sparked controversy after she said Ms Palaszczuk was the ‘knee on the throat’ of businesses.

‘She is absolutely choking our economy by having these borders shut,’ Senator Stoker said.

‘She is the knee on the throat of the businesses of Queensland, stopping them from breathing.’

The comments came as anti-racism protests erupted across the West following the death of African-American security guard George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. 

Mr Floyd was allegedly held down with a knee to his neck by white policeman Derek Chauvin for eight minutes and 46 seconds before he died.

Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder. 

Queensland Labor senator Murray Watt said the comments were a ‘new low’ for Liberal National Party.

‘Who uses the words of a dying man to score a political point,’ he said.  

Senator Stoker declined to comment on whether she referenced the death of Mr Floyd deliberately.

She told Daily Mail Australia: ‘This is nothing but a shallow attempt to use outrage to distract from the mess of corruption allegations that Labor are facing today.

‘It’s the Queensland Premier who should apologise to the many business owners who’ve lost their livelihoods, and the thousands of staff who’ve lost their jobs in circumstances where these border closures have gone on way too long. 

‘It’s choking the Queensland economy, and it has got to stop.’  

On Friday the Queensland government announced that its borders would come down on 10 July.