United Australia Party leader Clive Palmer is questioning whether a police "raid" on a launch for its candidate for the South Australian federal seat of Grey was orchestrated by political opponents.
In posts on Facebook and Twitter last night, the mining magnate said SA Police (SAPOL) "just raided our United Australia Party meeting where we introduced our Candidate for Grey, Suzanne Waters to our members".
"#SAPOL entered the function room at the Port Lincoln Hotel, denying our right to political free speech," he wrote.
"I am now considering legal proceedings.
The federal seat of Grey has been held by Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey since 2007.
At the 2019 federal election, the United Australia Party gained 3.8 per cent of the vote in the electorate, which covers 92 per cent of South Australia.
Eyre and Western crime prevention Sergeant Di Baker-Tagg said hotel staff called police about 6pm saying the function's "organisers" were not complying with directions.
About 50 people were there.
"We spoke with hotel management and in consultation with the organisers they subsequently made the decision to move to a reserve opposite the hotel," Sergeant Baker-Tagg told the ABC.
"They certainly weren't kicked out," she added.
Commenters on Mr Palmer's Facebook post said police failed to ask if they had an exemption from wearing a mask, as is required in public indoor places in South Australia when not eating or drinking.
"There was a reasonable gathering of people so whether all of those people had exemptions I couldn't comment on," Sergeant Baker-Tagg said.
Premier Steven Marshall's office has been contacted for comment.
But Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said any suggestion politicians directed police actions was "absolute nonsense".
"The management of the hotel called police because the people who were part of that function were not complying with the COVID rules," he said.
"I'm advised they weren't wearing masks and they were refusing to QR code and on that basis the hotel management called police and we attended and we dealt with that function like we would deal with any other function where people were not complying with the COVID requirements."
United Australia Party South Australian Senate candidate Michael Arbon said the hotel's management and police handled the situation badly.
He said most party members were sitting down and drinking and not wearing a mask, as allowed.
"The fact that the first thing I saw or heard actually was that my microphone was cut and I look over and see a number of police standing at the door, that was quite rough to see.
"It was a little bit scary for our patrons to see, to be honest."
