Clive Palmer defends job for LNP president David Hutchinson

Clive Palmer has dismissed ­criticism of his employment of LNP president David Hutchinson as ‘a storm in a tea cup’.

Clive Palmer. Picture: AAP

Clive Palmer has dismissed ­criticism of his employment of Queensland’s Liberal National Party president David Hutchinson as “a storm in a tea cup”, ­saying the move had nothing to do with politics.

Mr Hutchinson secured a high-paying property advisory job with Mr Palmer’s Mineralogy group of companies just months after the LNP struck a preferences deal that helped return the Morrison government to power at last year’s federal election.

Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk attacked the employment of the powerful party chief as an example of the “blurry” ­relationship between the LNP and its purported political rival in Mr Palmer and his United Australia Party.

In an interview with The Australian, Mr Palmer on Monday said it was still undecided as to whether the UAP would run candidates at the October 31 Queensland state election.

Mr Palmer said Mr Hutchinson, a property economist who has been working for his parents’ company, was qualified for the job and that he could not “discriminate” against him because he was the LNP president. “I think political roles are very temporary things, people have positions for two or three years and they move on, but careers are more of a lifetime thing,’’ he said. “It is illegal to discriminate against anyone ­because of their political beliefs when it comes to employment. You can’t make a selection of someone based on their political beliefs. He was well qualified for the position he applied for, that was the main thing.’’

The LNP president joins federal Nationals president Larry Anthony and senior LNP official Malcolm Cole — who own a lobbying and communications firm together — in working for Mr Palmer despite the businessman being the leader of the rival ­United Australia Party.

Mr Hutchinson and Mr ­Anthony were both involved in discussions with Mr Palmer before the May 18 federal election to negotiate a preferences deal ­between the UAP and LNP.

The UAP failed to secure a seat in parliament after Mr Palmer’s $60m campaign advertising spree, but the flow of preferences from its 3.4 per cent national primary vote proved critical to ­Coalition MPs holding marginal seats, particularly in Queensland.

In a statement, Queensland Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington — who has ruled out doing a preference deal with any minor party before the election — said she had sought assurances from Mr Hutchinson to ensure there would be no conflicts of interests. Ms Frecklington said Mr Hutchinson had agreed to resign from his job with Mineralogy if UAP ran at the election.

“I have asked the party president to ensure he separates his role as party president from his work on the Coolum Resort,’’ she said. “The party president has ­advised that if the Palmer United Party contest the Queensland state election he will resign from his employment.’’

Ms Palaszczuk said Mr Hutchinson’s job showed that “the LNP and Clive Palmer are closely now embedded together”.

“I think it’s very blurry ­between business and politics when it comes now to the LNP and Clive Palmer,” she said.