Clive Palmer has stepped back from the United Australia Party, his only MP in Canberra says

Clive Palmer has handed the reins of the United Australia Party to Craig Kelly, the billionaire’s new man in parliament says.

Craig Kelly and Clive Palmer. Picture: Brad Fleet

Clive Palmer has stepped back from the daily workings of the United Australia Party and handed the reins to former MP Craig Kelly, according to the billionaire’s new man in federal parliament.

Ralph Babet — who also goes by Deej Babet and has been dubbed Mr Palmer’s “$100m man” — said the mining magnate had no input into his new role as a senator for Victoria.

Instead, Senator Babet said he was being counselled by Mr Kelly, who was ambitiously billed by the party as Australia’s next prime minister, on the political machine of Canberra.

After losing his seat of Hughes, Mr Kelly was appointed as the UAP’s national director and is now leading the party’s latest cashed-up campaign for the Victorian state election, with an eye on securing seats in the upper house.

Asked whether Mr Palmer had been involved with him or the party since his election in May, Senator Babet told The Australian: “Just Craig.”

“I talk to Craig Kelly quite often, if I need anything, any advice, if I‘m concerned about anything, if he’s concerned about anything — we have an open dialogue.

“He doesn’t make any decisions, obviously. All decisions will be my own decisions.”

Senator Babet’s first speech on Wednesday is expected to touch on his mix of libertarian and conservative values, from the so-called freedom movement (“I’m a patriot”), to medicinal marijuana (“there’s a case there”), China (“foreign powers are posturing for more and more control”) and territory rights (“I’m going to most likely support that”). He will also criticise the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Until two months ago, the practising Catholic was running a real estate agency with his brother in Narre Warren.

Senator Babet has a history in the courts, having pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful assault in 2018. A magistrate dismissed the charge when the now-senator complied with a bond undertaking.

Born on Rodrigues — a tiny autonomous island 560km east of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean — he couldn’t speak a word of English, only French, when his family emigrated to Australia seven years later.

Senator Babet, 39, is facing a baptism of fire in the 47th parliament. He has yet to hire a single staff member, relying solely on one “volunteer” chief-of-staff.

“The first week has been very, very hard. It has been a very steep learning curve,” he said. “I didn’t know how to get to a particular place in the building. (Pauline Hanson) happened to be there and she offered to show me where it was.”

“(His fellow senators) were all very friendly, very willing to come and say hello, we are all on a comfortable first-name basis. Penny Wong’s a very great leader for the Labor Party. She’s been very lovely, well balanced, reserved. Seems to seems very honest. So I’m surely able I’ll be able to work with her.

“Jacqui Lambie’s great as well. David Pocock’s a really nice guy. He sits right next to me in the chamber.”

Staffing allocations will be on the agenda when Senator Babet sits down with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese next week. The government’s decision to cut the crossbenchers staffing allocation from eight to five was met with anger from the independents.

The UAP senator “anticipates” he will be granted one extra adviser after meeting with Mr Albanese – a privileged that has already been granted to One Nation and independent Senator Pocock, but no lower house MPs.

As the only successful candidate at the recent election – Mr Palmer missed out on a Queensland senate spot – Senator Babet is now, by default, the new federal leader of the UAP.

He said the party would “add another two, three senators” at the next federal election, adding the party would use less advertising.

“Next election campaign will be very different, we’ll have a very different approach. We’re not going to have as many TV ads and above the line advertising and radio and all that stuff. We will tone it back slightly, but we’re very blessed to have somebody like Clive who loves Australia, that’s willing to put his money where his mouth is.” he said.

As a solo player, Senator Babet is a unique and potentially powerful position, given the government needs the support of all 12 Greens plus one additional senator to pass legislation.

“I’m not going to be walking in there demanding anything from the Prime Minister,” Senator Babet said, claiming he was more than happy to work with the government, the opposition, the Greens or the independents on any issues.