Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is pushing new laws to crackdown on environmentalist protesters, even though there doesn't seem to be evidence to back her reasoning.

Ms. Palaszczuk is calling for prison sentences of up to two years for protesters who use lock-on devices because, she claims, some are booby-trapping them by embedding butane gas canisters inside.  That would be an explosive and potentially injurious surprise to anyone trying to cut through these things, especially law enforcement.

This seemed a stunning accusation to Queensland Greens MP Michael Berkman, so he asked her for proof of her claim.  She responded that she learned of it in a meeting with police officials and wouldn't go any further.  Police later gave a statement acknowledging that booby-traps can hurt people.

But has it ever actually happened?  

Responding to requests from the SBS' "The Feed", police could confirm only a single incident in 2005 in which a protester claimed to have embedded an aerosol can.  And police couldn't actualy confirm whether the aerosol can was actually present.  

Mr. Berkman says Ms. Palaszczuk's legislation is restricting protest rights on flimsy evidence.

"They haven't demonstrated the need to create new offences with maximum penalties of years in prison," he told the SBS.  "It's just a completely inappropriate response, when the government should in fact be listening to the reasonable demands of protesters and taking serious climate action."