Clive Palmer considers contesting Qld poll

Clive Palmer has confirmed his party is considering contesting this year’s Queensland state election.

Businessman Clive Palmer looks toward another poll fight, this time at the Queensland election in October. Picture: AAP

Clive Palmer has confirmed his political party is considering contesting this year’s Queensland state election in a move that could prove damaging to the ­Palaszczuk Labor government’s re-election chances.

The businessman and former federal MP, who is facing criminal charges brought by the Australian Securities and Invest­ments Commission, said his eponymous party was in final talks about running candidates at the October poll.

Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party recently registered as a political party in the state with the required 500 members, after it lost its official status — having no sitting MP at any level of government — with the 2019 defeat of NSW senator Brian Burston.

Mr Palmer was coy on Sunday about his election plans, but said there candidates wanting to run and that he would consult this week with party members and executives.

“(But) I think any political party is there to contest political elections,’’ he said. “We have got a number of people who want to stand at the next election.’’

Mr Palmer spent $84m on ­advertising to promote his party and attack the Labor opposition at last year’s federal election, and failed to win a single seat. But the attack ads, and preference flows of his party’s 3.4 per cent vote to the Liberal and National parties, are credited with helping return the Morrison government.

Ms Palaszczuk, who holds a two-seat Labor majority in the 93-seat unicameral parliament, said she was “not really” concerned about Mr Palmer’s party running at the election.