Clive Palmer says Palmer United Party will run in every seat at next federal election

Clive Palmer says his defunct Palmer United Party will run in “every seat” at the next federal election and in the senate in all states.

Clive Palmer says his Palmer United Party will run in “every seat” at the next federal election and in the senate in every state.

Resources magnate and former federal MP Clive Palmer claims his defunct Palmer United Party will run in “every seat” at the next federal election, and in the senate in every state.

However, Mr Palmer deregistered PUP with the Australian Electoral Commission on May 5, 2017, and has also deregistered the party in Queensland.

He resigned at the 2016 election as the MP for the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax, after PUP Senators Jacqui Lambie and Glenn Lazarus defected from the party.

In a statement, Mr Palmer said PUP would contest the next federal election.

“The Palmer United Party will contest every seat in the House of Representatives and the Senate in every state of Australia,” he said. “We need to expand our economy and provide growth for all Australians. Palmer United has the team to do it. It’s time to join the resistance.”

pic.twitter.com/SUhNd4KPwk

— Clive Palmer (@CliveFPalmer) February 22, 2018

He also repeated claims that the “full weight of the federal government has been improperly mobilised against me and my employees”.

Mr Palmer appears to be referring to the collapse of his Queensland Nickel company in Townsville, which left nearly 800 workers jobless with their redundancy entitlements unpaid.

The federal government was forced to step in and pay about $70m to cover most of the workers’ entitlements, and then appointed a special purpose liquidator to try and recover the money through the courts.

Mr Palmer has fought the liquidators’ attempts to sue him and his companies over Queensland Nickel’s collapse.

Currently, the special purpose liquidators are trying to freeze his assets.

Queensland Nickel collapsed in early 2016 owing about $300m, after Mr Palmer allegedly used the business as a cash cow to fund the rest of his corporate empire and his political party.