'Opportunist' joined wrong party, says Clive

CANDIDATE for Fremantle, Teresa Van Lieshout, has been disendorsed for issuing statements contrary to Palmer United Party policy.

PRIME ministerial hopeful Clive Palmer has described as "an opportunist" his former candidate for Fremantle, Teresa Van Lieshout, who has been disendorsed less than two weeks into her candidacy for issuing statements contrary to Palmer United Party policy.

"She's got education policies which are different to ours. A whole range of things like that. It's quite comprehensive, really.

"I couldn't think of anything that she agrees with us (on)," Mr Palmer told The Australian yesterday.

Hours after being announced as the candidate to take on International Development Minister Melissa Parke, the teacher began wavering from her leader's views.

In comments to the media, which she later denied, she said Mr Palmer's view that asylum-seekers should be flown directly to Australia for processing would not solve the problem and that she would not be made to toe the party line.

Ms Van Lieshout, whose website describes the global financial crisis as "a typical anti-Christ strategy", also called for creationism to be taught in schools and said atheist teachings had led to the destruction of society's morals and values.

Ms Van Lieshout yesterday issued a statement declaring that she had been disendorsed by the party executive.

"Mr Palmer is overseas and doesn't know about it, as far as I'm aware," she said, adding she would not accept the decision without a phone call or signed letter from Mr Palmer.

But the mining billionaire yesterday supported the executive's decision. "She's in the wrong party," he said.

"You've got to ask yourself why does someone join a party or stand for endorsement if they don't support the party policy? I think she's just an opportunist, really."