Is Clive Palmer the next Queensland Senator?
There is a colourful field of candidates fighting it out to secure crossbench Senate spots — but it’s Clive Palmer’s chances that has major party strategists shocked.
Federal Election
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CONTROVERSIAL businessman Clive Palmer’s return to the parliament is one of the shock outcomes that could be delivered in what will be a new-look Senate delivered on May 18.
Third parties are on the rise and set to win two of the six Senate spots in Queensland up for grabs and there is already a colourful field of candidates.
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It will pitch One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts, the Greens Larissa Waters, Lyle Shelton from Australian Conservatives, Katter’s Australian Party and Fraser Anning into a hard-fought battle for powerful crossbench positions.
Pauline Hanson has changed gears from her 2017 state election campaign which fell flat — eschewing the media and campaign buses to heading into the bush and regions as she seeks to get Mr Roberts — known for climate change conspiracies — back into the Senate.
While the Greens are at risk of losing Senate representation in Queensland for the first time in almost a decade.
But in a surprise development, strategists from both major parties say Mr Palmer could ride into the Senate on the back of his unprecedented advertising campaign — if he personally runs. He has yet to make an announcement.
Money has flowed into his coffers after a business deal with Chinese state-owned Citic Pacific came to fruition.
His polling has surprised the major parties but it is still short of the 14.3 per cent statewide needed to get over the line, without massive preference flows.
The protest vote going towards UAP is despite his party breaking apart in the 44th parliament and Queensland Nickel’s collapse leaving 800 workers owed entitlements.
One Nation is widely tipped to secure at least one Senate spot, with Senator Hanson understood to be targeting central and northern Queensland, as well as the Sunshine Coast, to get her colleagues elected.
Her chief-of-staff James Ashby’s Jabiru small plane will be used again, while the party now has a “mobile television studio” to broadcast interviews from remote areas.
Senator Hanson, who is not personally facing election this year, said she would be promoting “droughtproofing” policies.
“The people of Australia are tired of the two major parties not listening to their needs and instead only looking after big business and party donors,” she said.
Senator Waters said it was shaping up as battle between One Nation and the Greens for a Senate spot.
“You need to think about your Senate vote,” she said.
“I’ll be spending a lot of time getting around the state, next week in central Queensland, today in Cairns.”
The Greens need to lift the vote to win, with the 6.9 per cent secured at the 2016 double-dissolution short of what is needed.
Fraser Anning is a mystery card, with his recent party registration boosting his chances but he is still considered to have very long odds after winning just 19 personal votes in 2016.
LNP candidates Susan McDonald and Paul Scarr and Labor candidates Senator Chris Ketter and Nita Green are expected to pick up spots.
What you should know before you vote for Palmer United Party:
Queensland Nickel
— The company went bust in January 2016, owing taxpayers $70m, workers $10m and other creditors $200m
— More than 800 workers lost their jobs
— Palmer stunningly claimed redundant workers should show some “initiative” and get a job
— He is being sued for millions accused of breaching directors’ duties and trading while insolvent, which he denies.
— He is also accused of funnelling QN money into the Palmer United Party and
giving millions to his family and two mystery women, which he denies
Fugitive nephew
— Palmer’s companies have bankrolled his nephew Clive Mensink, also QN’s former boss, to the tune of $4000 a week while he is a fugitive for failing to appear in court
— His companies have also funded Mensink’s multiple luxury cruises
— Palmer also pays for Mensink’s court appeals. He claims he had no contact with him until they had dinner in Europe last October.
Political career
— Earned $198,000 a year after being elected Member for Fairfax in 2013 by a margin of just 53 votes
— Most absent politician in 2014 and 2015, attending just 64 per cent and 54 per cent of sittings respectively
— First ever question in Question Time was: “Are our parliamentary offices bugged?”
— Pledged to pass a bill to scrap all Newman Government legislation
— Pictured falling asleep in parliament in 2014 and bizarrely counting money in parliament just weeks after QN went into administration
— Popularity plummeted to 2 per cent after QN’s collapse
PUP demise
— Fell out with Palmer United Party recruits in 2014 and 2015
— Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said she could not vote in the interests of her electorate
— Qld senator Glenn Lazarus labelled Palmer a “bully”, a claim he denied
— Qld MP Alex Douglas accused Palmer of “cronyism”, a claim he also denied
— NT MPS Alison Anderson, Larisa Lee and Francis Xavier quit after just six months
Coolum resort
— Promised to inject $2 billion into the five-star tourism jewel with a high-rise beach hotel, theme park and casino when he bought it in 2011
— But turned it into a dinosaur park, which failed to lure tourists and it is now a dilapidated ghost town
— Ongoing court battles with owners of some of the 144 villas on site
— Facing criminal charges relating to an alleged takeover bid, which he says is a “witch hunt”
Originally published as Is Clive Palmer the next Queensland Senator?
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