Clive Palmer expects staff to do poll duty

CLIVE Palmer is leaning on employees to show their "commitment to the company" by staffing polling booths for candidates in his political party.

PRIME ministerial aspirant Clive Palmer is leaning on employees at his Queensland Nickel refinery to show their "commitment to the company" by staffing polling booths on Saturday for candidates in his fledgling political party.

In an email that has outraged some of the 800 employees at his wholly owned refinery near Townsville, the businessman warned that it was vital for the success of two local Palmer United Party candidates - both senior managers at Queensland Nickel - that they hand out how-to-vote cards on election day.

The email was sent on Monday after workers failed to respond last week to another email from the businessman's nephew, Queensland Nickel managing director Clive Mensink - who is second on PUP's Senate ticket in Queensland - calling for volunteers to staff the booths.

Mr Palmer, who has recruited at least half a dozen employees or family members to stand for his party, says he expects workers to "volunteer" but not to spruik the policies of the party.

GRAPHIC: Palmer's email

"Considering my long and continuing commitment to you and your families I expect that all those that are able to, will volunteer their time for approximately four hours on Saturday to assist in manning the polling booths," Mr Palmer says in the email.

"The task is simply to hand out how-to-vote cards in a polite manner and not to engage in any extensive political discussion with the voters. I look forward to your involvement and participation on Saturday as a reflection of your commitment to the company and what we stand for. We require your response by 10am Tuesday."

Workers were left in little doubt that their willingness to work on election day would be noted, with Mr Palmer instructing them to register with Queensland Nickel human resources and development manager Damien Mines, who refused yesterday to comment.

Mr Palmer denied last night that he had written the email. "I don't know what you are talking about, mate. I haven't sent emails to anybody. Bye bye," he said, before hanging up.

But one of several employees who contacted The Australian said workers "feared for their jobs" if they did not work on the booths.

Another employee said that the "love is well and truly gone" for Mr Palmer, who in 2010 famously gave a $50,000 Mercedes-Benz to each of the refinery's 50 most valued production workers.

The employee said morale was low after a three-year pay freeze and loss of some shiftwork.

A spokesman for the Australian Electoral Commission said he could not comment on the request, with the Electoral Act not defining rules relating to the recruitment of workers on polling booths.

Political academic John Wanna, a professor at the Australian National University's school of politics and international relations, said Mr Palmer's email, while not "technically illegal", was "certainly improper and gives the impression of intimidating staff".

The email emerged as Mr Palmer's party continued an advertising and letterbox blitz around the country. Sources close to the party said the businessman had budgeted for $10 million in campaign advertising.

In Queensland, he has rivalled spending by Labor and the Liberal National Party in the past week, particularly on the Gold and Sunshine coasts and around Townsville and Mackay.

LNP and Labor insiders said the advertising blitz was working, with polling conducted for both major parties showing a boost in support for Mr Palmer, especially on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

"The support has gone from 1 and 2 per cent for Palmer's party three weeks ago to 5 per cent and more," one strategist said. "It is coming at the expense of Bob Katter's party, but also Labor."

Mr Palmer is contesting the LNP-held seat of Fairfax, on the Sunshine Coast.

At a press conference early yesterday, Mr Palmer predicted that his party would win two Queensland Senate seats and several lower house seats and would out-perform Katter's Australian Party.

"We are seeing in our polling right across Australia that they will go for another option in the coming election," he said.

"I believe we will get two Senate candidates in Queensland and House of Representatives candidates in every other state of the commonwealth."

Mr Palmer said his team had polled voters in 40 seats, with samples of between 1000 and 2000 people surveyed in each seat.