By Cameron Atfield
Clive Palmer's political party has applied to be deregistered in Queensland, seemingly bringing to an end the short-lived Palmer United Party experiment.
In a notice to the Queensland Government Gazette on Friday, the Electoral Commission of Queensland advised that PUP had applied to have its registration as a political party cancelled.
Clive Palmer once wielded power in Federal Parliament.Credit: Jacky Ghossein
"The Electoral Commission of Queensland has received an application from (the Palmer United Party's) registered officer to cancel the registration of that party, under the provisions of the Electoral Act 1992 s78(1)," Queensland electoral commissioner Walter van der Merwe said in the notice.
After a high water mark that saw PUP with three senators, two Queensland state MPs, three Northern Territory MLAs and Mr Palmer himself in the federal House of Representatives, the last vestiges of the largely self-financed political party were wiped out at the July federal election.
Comment has been sought from Mr Palmer, who spent last week facing a Federal Court grilling over the collapse of his Queensland Nickel refinery in Townsville.
But a party spokesman said the move simply meant the PUP would not longer contest state elections.
"It's always been set up as a federal party," he said.
"The party will remain as a party in the federal scene."
Mr Palmer was elected as the federal member for the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax in 2013, but announced his intention not to recontest the seat in May this year.