Clive Palmer arrives in Canberra, asks where the taxis are then heads off for ... - NEWS.com.au

Anthony Albanese says Clive Palmer needs to be aware of the rules about conflicts of interest.

Clive Palmer arrives at Canberra airport. Picture: Kym Smith Source: News Limited

HE may be a self- proclaimed billionaire with access to his own corporate jet but Clive Palmer took a regular commercial flight from Brisbane to Canberra as he prepares for his first session in parliament.

Insisting he was not interested in taxpayer-funded perks, Mr Palmer shunned the Commonwealth cars used by most MPs for a taxi when he arrived in Canberra this morning.

As bemused travellers looked on, Mr Palmer collected his own luggage from the carousel and then wandered through the airport asking journalists where he could catch a taxi.

"I'll be getting a taxi like everyone else," he said.

"Where's the taxi rank?"

The businessman said he would not claim a travel allowance for his business class flight and said he was not sure if he would for future travel.

"I haven't thought about it," he said when asked about his entitlement to travel perks.

"I don't think I will be claiming too much because I don't want to end up in the murky cesspool that's been shown everywhere."

The Premier's challenged billionaire and new M-P Clive Palmer to deliver on a promise of hundreds of new mining jobs

Mr Palmer said he was worried about the government's ability to manage Australia's debt and wanted to focus on the economy when he takes his seat in parliament this week.

But he cast doubt over how often he would attend parliament, saying he was more interested in listening to the concerns of his constituents in the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax.

And he was off - not to parliament, which will resume tomorrow - but to a restaurant.

"I'm going to lunch," he said.

"Lunch is much more important than parliament today.

"Now someone will put that on the news out of context."