Clive Palmer advertising cash splash for politics tilt tops $1 million

BILLIONAIRE Clive Palmer has splashed out more than $1 million on an advertising blitz as part of a bid to re-enter politics and his spokesman is hinting there’s more to come.

BILLIONAIRE Clive Palmer has splashed out more than $1 million on an advertising blitz across Australia as part of his bid to re-enter politics.

And the timing is “no accident” as the businessman, who is still fighting civil and court action, seeks to capitalise on the chaos in federal politics after Malcolm Turnbull was ousted by the Liberal Party in a leadership spill last month.

The Australian reports an analysis by media and marketing consultancy Ebiquity shows Mr Palmer spent $1.005m on 1168 TV and radio ads across the country last month.

Clive Palmer billboard on the corner of Princes Hwy and Rossack Drive, Victoria. Picture: Alan Barber

That includes $600,000 on TV ads in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and almost $407,000 on radio ads in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.

Ebiquity’s managing director, Peter Cornelius, has told the publication Mr Palmer’s spend could be “significantly” higher than $1 million as the figure doesn’t take into account the costs of “Make Australia Great” billboards the businessman has splashed across Australia.

“Running this campaign during a non-election period is interesting, and at an estimated $1m, a significant spend over four weeks,” Mr Cornelius said.

“The campaign is presumably aimed at potentially dissatisfied voters of the existing main parties, it also takes a dig at the Greens, and occurred immediately following the change of prime minister.

“The timing is no accident.”

The billionaire remains in a legal battle over the collapse of Queensland Nickel. Picture: AAP

Mr Palmer’s media spokesman, Andrew Crook, has also indicated the advertising blitz isn’t over.

“We mightn’t have even started,” Mr Crook told The Australian.

“We haven’t even started. You’ll have to wait and see.”

The billionaire, who remains in a legal battle over the collapse of Queensland Nickel, confirmed in June he intended to make another tilt at federal politics.

He even recruited ex-One Nation senator Brian Burston to be the first member of his rebranded political party, the United Australia Party.

His pitch has been to offer dissatisfied voters another alternative to the two major parties.