Australia has a field day over Clive Palmer’s carbon tax backflip and 7.30 walkout

HE HIJACKED the Parliament’s agenda yesterday, and embarrass Tony Abbott, but that hasn’t stopped the nation ridiculing Clive Palmer mercilessly.

HE MANAGED to hijack the Australian Parliament’s agenda yesterday, and significantly embarrass Tony Abbott in the process, but that hasn’t stopped the nation ridiculing Clive Palmer mercilessly.

The country must really be accepting the mining magnate as a proper politician, as he is now being pilloried in the great Australian tradition of not taking those in power too seriously.

In a remarkable day of politics yesterday, Mr Palmer frustrated the government’s attempts to finally scrap the carbon tax when his Palmer United Party senators sided with Labor and the Greens to block the repeal bills.

Mr Palmer had long promised to scrap the pollution price, but accused the government of “double crossing” his party over an amendment to ensure business pass on any savings they make to consumers.

PUP leader Clive Palmer. Picture: Kym Smith

He topped off the day by storming out of an interview on the ABC’s 7.30, taking exception to host Sarah Ferguson’s persistent questions about his legal battle with a Chinese business partner.

“Don’t talk to me about allegations and bull***t,” he said.

The country has reacted in colourful ways to Palmer’s big day.

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett had some of the most unkind things to say, comparing him to a great blimp that occasionally farted, causing damage to the country.

“He reminds me of a great blimp flying around this world of ours, this country of ours, and every now and then it lets off steam, or, to use a Clive Palmer expression, he just farts,” Mr Kennett told 3AW.

“That’s all he does, he floats around, he causes trouble, there is no logic to what he is doing and it can be so damaging to this country.”

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In the spotlight … Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer. Picture: Kym Smith

Labor Senate leader Penny Wong has been on fire this week, shaking off her quiet demeanour and giving the government an absolute bollocking in the upper house.

On Mr Palmer, she couldn’t resist this gag: “The Palmer United Party may have been sold a PUP. Sorry, I had to say that once.”

Our newspapers also stuck the boot in, with some creative front pages.

The Daily Telegraph wins for a front page that is both hilariously compelling and disturbingly repelling.

The stuff of nightmares … The cover of today’s <i>Daily Telegraph</i>.

It’s all Miley’s fault.

Brisbane’s Courier-Mail also put in a pretty solid effort.

The cover of <i>The Courier-Mail</i> today.

But, as always, it was Twitter where people had the most fun at Mr Palmer’s expense.

@702sydney @CliveFPalmer @FergusonNews I'm not sure Clive Palmer is fast enough to storm out of anywhere.

— Liz Raleigh (@Lizzles32) July 10, 2014

Very much enjoyed watching Clive Palmer walk out on @abc730 What a bloated, fatuous gasbag he is. There is something about Queensland...

— Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) July 10, 2014

Trying to understand Clive Palmer before my morning coffee is - in a wide field - one of the stupidest things I've ever attempted

— Elle Hardy (@ellehardytweets) July 11, 2014

Originally published as Australia has a field day over Clive Palmer’s carbon tax backflip and 7.30 walkout