Now Palmer's stalking Katter's seat

BILLIONAIRE miner Clive Palmer says he is eyeing Bob Katter's seat if he goes through with a plan to enter federal politics

Christopher Pyne

BILLIONAIRE miner Clive Palmer says he is eyeing Bob Katter's north Queensland seat of Kennedy if he goes through with a plan to enter federal politics

Mr Palmer took to national television last night, from his resort in Tahiti, to brand Tony Abbott a "lightweight" and affirm that he is serious about joining the Liberal team in Canberra.

The flamboyant Queenslander said he would most likely seek preselection in Kennedy or the Sunshine Coast-based seat of Fairfax.

They were the "two major areas" he was looking at because he had personal and business connections to both, he told ABC television's Lateline program.

Referring to Kennedy, the sprawling electorate that takes in a vast tract of north Queensland extending from Charters Towers, west of Townsville, to the Gulf country, Mr Palmer said he would not be deterred by Mr Katter's hefty 18.3 per cent margin or the fact he had been its MP since 1993.

"It's a challenge of ideas," Mr Palmer said.

"It's about bringing Bob Katter's and mine to the forefront and letting people decide."

In relation to Fairfax, held by Liberal Alex Somlyay, who is retiring at the next election, Mr Palmer said he anticipated he would have support from both the LNP machine in Queensland and local party members in what is expected to be a hotly contested preselection.

Mr Palmer's local business interests include the former Coolum Hyatt resort.

His comments came after Mr Abbott issued a thinly veiled warning to Mr Palmer that he should not run for parliament if he is not prepared to follow Coalition policy and "do the hard yards" like other candidates.

The Opposition Leader also said he would welcome Howard-era minister Mal Brough back but insisted his former colleague's bid for preselection in the Queensland seat of Fisher was a matter for local preselectors.

Mr Abbott's comments came after nominations for Liberal National Party preselection for several Queensland seats closed yesterday, prompting Mr Palmer to reveal that he had abandoned a plan to seek the party's candidacy in Wayne Swan's Brisbane seat of Lilley.

In Adelaide yesterday, Mr Abbott said any LNP member was free to nominate for preselection.

"I just want to make these points, though," he said.

"If you are going to be the candidate, you've got to be prepared to do the hard yards of doorknocking. You have got to be there first thing in the morning at the bus stops and the railway stations.

"You've got to support party policy, all of it, and the other thing that I would hate to see is any suggestion that being a member of parliament is a part-time job."