Palmer’s Queensland Nickel pledge about politics

Billionaire Clive Palmer has been saturating media markets with tens of millions in ads which are straight out of the Donald Trump playbook. But I doubt his claim is to get elected, writes Dennis Atikins.

TWO significant events happened yesterday that give us a window or two into this election circus.

Clive Palmer gave a cynical, self-serving news conference which he began with a corker.

“This is not about politics,” he said as he pledged he’d reopen his nickel refinery in Townsville and pay workers back.

Cue horse laughs.

Clive Palmer agrees to pay laid off Queensland Nickel workers

Is Clive Palmer the next Queensland Senator?

This was all about politics with an electoral benefit for Palmer being its most obvious goal.

Palmer has been saturating media markets with tens of millions in ads which are straight out of the Donald Trump playbook.

Clive Palmer announces he will pay Queensland Nickel workers what they are owed. Picture: Alix Sweeney

The system is corrupt, rigged and the swamp needs draining, say the Palmer ads.

Vote United Australia Party, they conclude.

Palmer is not going to get anyone elected but I doubt that his aim.

He wants to influence the outcome in key seats and he wants to achieve a vote of more than 4 per cent so he can pocket lots of public funding.

There are some suggestions he is polling about 10 per cent in some seats in Queensland and it wouldn’t surprise to see similar levels of support in other parts of the country.

The sad fact is, money might not be able to buy you love but it can but you votes.

Senator Pauline Hanson’s star power shouldn’t be underestimated. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

The other interesting happening was that Mark Latham wasn’t the only One Nation candidate to pick up an eight year term in the New South Wales upper house.

His name appeal and that of Pauline Hanson gave him enough electoral pull to get two candidates elected.

This shows One Nation remains a force to be reckoned with and its star appeal - particularly Hanson - is just as potent as ever.

They might, as the latest Newspoll suggested, be losing votes in metropolitan Australia but in the outer suburbs and the regions, Hanson can still pack the halls.