Clive Palmer says he thinks his United Australia Party can win 10-15 seats in Queensland. Photo: Glenn Hunt
When billionaire Clive Palmer announced on Anzac Day that he was running for federal Parliament, it was hard to know whether to take him seriously.
“I’m standing to be the next prime minister of Australia,” he declared.
But Palmer is ignoring the snide remarks and getting on with building his last-minute party, which he’s calling the United Australia Party (a revival of the party name that was associated with governments led by Joe Lyons and Robert Menzies. On May 6, he announced another five candidates for seats on the Gold Coast and boldly tipped big wins in his home state of Queensland.
“I think we’ll win five seats on the Gold Coast, I think we’ll win two on the Sunshine Coast, I think we’ll win some very conservative rural seats,” he said.
“I think we can probably win at least 10 to 15 seats in Queensland – you’ve got to remember we only have to finish second if we get preferences from other parties to win.”
Palmer, a former National Party spin doctor, is running for the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax. This seat, where his well-known Coolum resort and dinosaur park are located, is held with a healthy margin by retiring Liberal National Party (LNP) MP Alex Somlyay.
The billionaire says his party will have candidates in every seat in Australia by early July, including “some of the biggest names in this country”.
To get around the small problem of having to secure 500 party members to form a political party, Palmer has drafted Queensland state government MPs Alex Douglas and Carl Judge (although he denies he’s drafting anybody, saying they voluntarily put in an application). They are both former Queensland state LNP MPs, turned independents, who share Palmer’s dislike of Campbell Newman and Queensland’s ruling LNP.
It seems unlikely the Queenslander will get his 150 candidates for each seat in the lower house (he also wants to run a Senate team in each state and territory) and make it to the September 14 polls.
Technically, Palmer’s latest political ambition – whether serious or not – isn’t out of the realms of possibility. But this is the same man who wants to build a replica of the Titanic and who last year said he was running for Treasurer Wayne Swan’s seat of Lilley, before changing his mind.
Queenslanders have never been too worried about voting for people with big personalities and controversial ideas – think Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Pauline Hanson and Bob Katter. However, Palmer has “no attraction south of the border”, says Scott Prasser, executive director of the public policy institute at the Australian Catholic University.
In his view, Palmer doesn’t have a chance. Firstly, because Fairfax has been a safe Liberal seat for more than a decade. The division, which was created in 1984, was named after the founder of the Country Women’s Association, Ruth Fairfax, and includes the towns of Coolum, Maroochydore and Nambour.
Prasser says there’s a high number of small-business owners in the area who typically don’t vote Labor. “Despite all the scandals that have been kicking around the Sunshine Coast for a while, the Liberal candidates can get returned,” he says.
The second reason Palmer is unlikely to have a shot, Prasser says, is because “there’s not real policy difference between him and the LNP.
“The ALP is kaput, why would you vote for him?” Prasser says.
Palmer has launched frequent criticisms of Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for failing “ordinary Australians”. He’s tried to point out differences, no matter how subtle they may be. For instance, like Abbott, Palmer will repeal the carbon tax. But Palmer will take it a step further by refunding money companies have already paid.
There are other differences, such as Palmer refusing to introduce a Medicare levy to help pay for the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS). He will ban lobbyists from becoming politicians or holding party positions. He will allow a conscience vote on gay marriage. He’s also promised to implement the Gonski education reforms and reduce indigenous mortality rates.
And despite his conservative background, Palmer has even showed concern for issues of equality, suggesting the pay of public servants and ordinary workers is out of kilter.
“The cost of a public servant in Canberra today is $165,000 plus all their on-costs; the cost of the average Australian worker is $65,000,” he said, after revealing his Gold Coast candidates.
“I think that’s wrong. It has to be changed; there’s got to be a fairer country and a fairer distribution.”
Prasser says these are “fairy-land policies” with no explanation of how Palmer will implement and fund them. The only reason Palmer has generated media interest is because the public is “attracted to people who are a bit different and speak out, even if what they speak is nonsense,” Prasser says.
“The media needs someone to make the politics amusing,” he says. “Palmer is someone we can bring in to have a go at. People are attracted to these political side-shows; it’s entertainment. But [there’s] no real substance.”
Prasser says Palmer’s motives may be ego (like everyone else who runs for politics), or because he wants to have a go at Campbell Newman, or a combination of both. “This is all because he’s been locked out of the decision-making process of the Newman government,” he says.
“The LNP has been careful in trying not to appear like they are being manipulated by big business.”
Palmer’s partners
Douglas and Judge left the LNP last year because of their issues with Newman. It’s possible that more LNP members will defect to the United Australia Party in coming weeks, and while there’s been talk of preference deals with Bob Katter’s Australian Party, nothing’s eventuated and is unlikely to. Douglas was quick to dismiss Katter’s party as a “cult” and denies any suggestions they share like-minded views.
Other candidates that Palmer has brought on board include long-time friend and business associate Bill Schoch, who will run for the seat of Fisher. The seat is held by embattled MP Peter Slipper and is being contested by former Howard government minister Mal Brough.
Schoch is now a manager at Palmer’s Coolum resort, and at a press conference on Friday held against a backdrop of Australian flags, Palmer promised voters that “help is on the way”. The announcement on May 3 that Schoch would join came a day after former state independent Rob Messenger said he will stand for the Bundaberg seat of Hinkler.
Messenger is another politician who quit the LNP to sit as an independent back in 2010. He entered parliament in 2004 but lost his state seat of Burnett to the LNP at last year’s state election. Apparently, he’s impressed that Palmer won’t be dictated to by political lobbyists and faction bosses (Prasser finds this is hilarious given Palmer has spent his entire life lobbying).
There’s also a small technical hurdle for Palmer to get over – there’s a Uniting Australia Party that’s already made an application to the Australian Electoral Commission, and despite Palmer claiming “their application will be knocked out”, the AEC may not approve two similar names.
Of course, the real problem isn’t the name; it’s the fact that most people still don’t take Palmer seriously. Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Kevin Rudd and Anthony Albanese have all dismissed him as a serious contender.
And while US-style candidates with big money and big personalties may seem appealing, in reality it doesn’t translate into votes.
“In Australia we are much more glued into political parties,” Prasser says.
“Our politics isn’t so individualistic. You cannot create a party out of nothing. I wouldn’t be surprised if this all stops and Clive moves on to something else.”
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