Queensland election: Clive Palmer ‘not really expecting favours’

Called out again for ‘lying’, billionaire political party founder Clive Palmer claims unnamed official told him Labor’s plan.

Clive Palmer handing out how to vote cards at a pre poll at Pumicestone, north of Brisbane. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Billionaire political party founder Clive Palmer has been in regular contact with senior Liberal National Party members during the election campaign, but says he does “not really” expect any favours if he helps Deb Frecklington be elected premier.

Campaigning with his United Australia Party candidate for the LNP electorate of Pumicestone on Tuesday, Mr Palmer said his aim for the election was to rid the state of the Labor “tyranny”, as he did during last year’s federal election when he helped ensure a Bill Shorten defeat.

The resources magnate and former LNP life member said he believed his Galilee Basin coal project would be approved more easily by an LNP government than the current Labor administration, and confirmed the UAP and LNP were swapping preferences in most seats.

He also claimed he was not a property developer — despite agreeing he was fighting for approval to build 4100 units in two large property developments on the Gold Coast — and challenged the Electoral Commission of Queensland to “sue him” if the watchdog wanted to prove he was prohibited from making political donations in the state.

Under questioning, Mr Palmer said he had been in regular contact with senior LNP members and officials, including former presidents Dave Hutchin­son and Bruce McIver and federal Nationals president Larry Anthony. Mr Hutchinson and Mr Anthony are members of the LNP state executive, and all three men have worked for Mr Palmer in some capacity in the past or currently.

Mr Palmer said he had not discussed preferences or party tactics with the men, despite receiving at least two calls from Mr Anthony during the campaign.

“I don’t say goodbye to friends I’ve known for many years for political reasons — you can’t have politics interfering with your friendships or you won’t have any friends,” he said.

Mr Palmer said his Galilee Basin coal project would have a better chance of being developed under an LNP government, but asked whether he would expect special treatment or favours if the LNP was elected, Mr Palmer said “not really … I don’t need favours, I’ve got $9bn in ­assets”.

The Australian reported this month that Mr Palmer has two ongoing development appli­cations to build 4100 units on the Gold Coast in two developments. Property developers are banned from making political donations in Queensland, and Mr Palmer and his companies have so far donated more than $3.8m to the UAP.

Mr Palmer said he was trying to build the developments to “create employment for people after the virus”, and was confident he was not a property developer under the Electoral Act.

Mr Palmer, his party and his flagship company Mineralogy are running anti-Labor billboards and advertisements around the state, including falsely claiming the ALP would introduce a “20 per cent death tax”.

Asked for evidence on the claims, which Labor minister Kate Jones on Tuesday labelled “bullshit” designed to scare the elderly, Mr Palmer said he had received a “leak this was on the cards for Queensland”.

“I was called by a public servant from Treasury indicating he was looking at that as an option, in reducing debt after the election,” he said. He refused to provide proof.