Liberal turncoat Craig Kelly defends election day backflip

Liberal turncoat Craig Kelly, who is now running for the United Australia Party, has backflipped on a promise about election day.

Liberal turncoat Craig Kelly has defended the United Australia Party’s backflip on voting preferences in several key seats.

The UAP this week revealed it will place Liberal incumbents higher on its how to vote cards than Labor hopefuls in the marginal seats of Chisholm, Reid and Bass.

UAP chairman Clive Palmer had vowed his candidates would recommend preferencing incumbents last as part of his campaign against the two major parties.

Pressed on why his party had abandoned its pledge, Mr Kelly said the decision was made on a “seat by seat basis” by considering which candidates “are most likely appropriate”.

“Where those Liberal candidates have been preferenced ahead of Labor we have done so because we believe they are more likely to support the United Australian Party’s policies,” he told Sky News on Tuesday.

Mr Kelly was asked to explain why the UAP was preferencing Liberal Gladys Liu in the very marginal seat of Chisholm above Labor’s Carina Garland.

He said he knew Ms Liu well and that she was “very freedom focused”, claiming to have discussed Covid-19 vaccine mandates and borders with her.

Liberal defector turned UAP leader Craig Kelly has defended the party’s backflip on preferences. Picture: Alison Wynd

Mr Kelly defected to the UAP last year over his opposition to vaccine mandates and subsequently became a regular fixture at so-called “freedom” rallies around the country.

Sky News host Tom Connell challenged Mr Kelly on the benefit the UAP’s how-to-vote cards would have for the Coalition, saying “You’re helping out Scott Morrison (more) than you are Anthony Albanese”.

Mr Kelly replied: “Well, Tom, that’s your interpretation”.

Mr Kelly said the UAP was preferencing the Liberals below Labor in every seat in Western Australia, as well as Dickson in Queensland and North Sydney in NSW.

Mr Palmer last month sensationally backflipped on his claim he would preference the Greens, insisting his “tongue in cheek” remark was twisted by the media into “fake news”.

Anthony Albanese said earlier it wasn’t “a great shock” the UAP had swapped preference recommendations with the Liberal Party in key seats Labor is hoping to win.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says he ‘isn’t shocked’ that the coalition and Clive Palmer appears to have swapped preference recommendations in a number of key, marginal seats. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The Opposition Leader accused Scott Morrison of having done a deal with Mr Palmer, despite the Prime Minister’s assurance there had been no such arrangement.

“In spite of the declarations that have been made that no preference deals were being done, it’s very clear that there have been some arrangements put in place between those minor parties and the Liberal Party,” Mr Albanese told ABC Radio on Tuesday morning.

“But we are not completely shocked by that.”

Back in March, the Prime Minister told the West Australian it was “not (his) request” to see a deal done with Mr Palmer anywhere in the country.

“I don’t believe there will be a deal,” Mr Morrison said at the time.

Clive Palmer had previously pledged to put all incumbents last on how-to-vote cards, but appears to have changed his tune in a number of key LNP-held marginal seats. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Mr Albanese said he was hopeful Australians would give their first preference to Labor and he “encourages people to get out there and exercise their democratic rights”.

The UAP will also recommend voters preference Liberal incumbents Jason Falinski in Mackellar and Dave Sharma in Wentworth – both of whom are facing a serious challenge from “teal” independents.

Both Mr Falinski and Mr Sharma have traded the second preference position with the UAP.

In another seat under threat from an independent – North Sydney – however, Mr Palmer says his party recommends putting incumbent Trent Zimmerman last “because he’s preferenced the Labor Party over … our party”.

Another significant Liberal figure at the bottom of the UAP’s how-to-vote card is Defence Minister Peter Dutton in his seat of Dickson.

Most Australians will head to the polls on election day on May 21 but up to a third of people could vote early or use postal votes.

Originally published as Liberal turncoat Craig Kelly defends election day backflip