LNP president scored Clive Palmer job after preference vote deal

David Hutchinson landed a job with Clive Palmer months after the pair struck a preference deal.

When contacted by The Australian on Sunday, Mr Hutchinson confirmed he was now working for Mr Palmer as a ­consultant on the businessman’s shuttered Coolum Resort on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: AAP

Queensland’s Liberal National Party president David Hutchinson secured a job with political rival Clive Palmer just months after the pair struck a preference deal that helped return the Morrison government to power at last year’s federal election.

Mr Hutchinson, who had previously been working for his parents’ company, was put on the payroll of the billionaire’s Mineralogy group of companies as a property consultant.

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 ahead of the May 18 federal election to negotiate a preference deal between the UAP and the 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 the Coalition holding key marginal seats, particularly in Queensland.

Mr Palmer quit the LNP in 2013 and started the first of two political parties after falling out with then Queensland premier Campbell Newman, who had refused to give the businessman preferential treatment for his coal company in the Galilee Basin.

When contacted by The Australian on Sunday, Mr Hutchinson — who was elevated to the LNP state presidency in December 2018 — confirmed he was now working for Mr Palmer as a ­consultant on the businessman’s shuttered Coolum Resort on the Sunshine Coast.

Mr Hutchinson, who holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Property Economics, defended his decision to take the job, saying he did not believe the move was inappropriate or that it would anger LNP supporters.

“Business is business and politics is politics,’’ he said. “It’s not inappropriate, I’m keen to see the Coolum Resort reopen and help bring back those jobs to the region.

“I think people would acknowledge that Clive Palmer helped the Coalition make sure (former federal Labor leader) Bill Shorten didn’t become prime minister.’’

Mr Palmer bought the Hyatt Regency resort in 2011. At the time it hosted the Australian PGA Championship golf tournament, but it was rebranded “Palmer Coolum Resort’’ and was closed in 2015 with the loss of 600 jobs.

Maree Frecklington, the mother-in-law of LNP state leader Deb Frecklington, is a spokesperson for timeshare investors in the ­resort who have been engaged in bitter protests and legal action after Mr Palmer sought to block them from being able to access their accommodation.

During the election, Ms Frecklington called Mr Palmer a “ bully” who “can’t be trusted”.

In an interview with The Australian, Mr Hutchinson said he had first met with Mr Palmer early last year after it emerged the UAP would be running candidates across the country.

But Mr Hutchinson denied the LNP and UAP had been secretly co-operating with their campaign strategies, as had been alleged by Labor and One Nation.

“We met in the new year and again during the campaign, and I spoke with him two or three times over the phone during the campaign,’’ he said.

“We ran our campaign and they ran their campaign. They ran independently but parallel, I guess, in that we both wanted to stop Bill Shorten.”

A spokesman for Mr Palmer confirmed Mr Hutchinson was a paid consultant for Mineralogy.