Clive Palmer falls off stage during election campaign ad rehearsal

Billionaire Clive Palmer says he was knocked out for about 20 seconds following a fall during a rehearsal for a campaign ad, likening the hit to when he used to play rugby league.

Billionaire Clive Palmer was rushed to hospital after falling off the stage during a rehearsal of his United Australia Party campaign launch on the Sunshine Coast on Good Friday.

Palmer has a nasty egg on his head after slipping and landing awkwardly from a stage set-up at his Coolum resort.

First aid was administered on site and he was transported to hospital where he was later discharged.

“Well I went to jump on the stage and I can’t high jump like I used to. I’m now 68. I hit it and ricocheted off the stage and hit my head ... I was knocked out for about 20 seconds. Had a scan. I really do have a brain in there between my two ears,” Palmer said.

“It took me back to my old days when I played for Southport Tigers rugby league ... when I came to, I looked around to see who’d tackled me. I was given the all clear and came back to prepare for today’s launch.”

Clive Palmer shows where he hit his head at Friday’s campaign launch rehearsal.

About 1000 people will attend the UAP launch and Palmer said they knocked back about another 10000 who wanted to attend.

“I think people are looking for an alternative. Australians are losing their homes. They are really worried about interest rates going up ... and UAP has a solution for that,” he said.

“We’re tackling the issue about repaying our national debt by having Chinese and Japanese pay for it when they buy our iron ore ... and we want to bring our budget balance back to zero.”

Enacting a Bill of Rights outlawing lockdowns protecting the right of all Australians to choose medical treatment and preserving freedom of speech would be the UAP’s first tasks if elected to government.