It's an unprecedented type of political campaigning.
This is an astronomical amount of money we're seeing spent so far by Clive Palmer on the
campaign - probably in Australian history, it's one of the highest figures we've ever
seen.
The United Australia Party will fight for you. We have got to put Australia first. Vote
United Australia Party.
Gold Coast businessman, Clive Palmer, is on an advertising splurge - the kind usually
reserved for major brands and fast food companies.
We have an extensive advertising campaign.
The media is putting it at $31 million. I believe he's spent more than that. It'll end
up going to about $60 million.
The United Australia Party is contesting every seat across the country and according to some
polls, is in the running to pick up at least one senate seat.
People tell me they're sick of seeing Clive on the TV. I said, "Isn't that good. You're
not missing it," and I don't think anyone is missing it.
The party's founder and leader, controversial businessman, Clive Palmer, has clinched a
preference deal with the LNP, further boosting the prospects of his political movement.
We figured out the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.
No-one can deny the fact that Morrison has delivered good economic numbers and a strong economy.
We think, frankly, Bill Shorten and the Greens, Labor and the Greens, would be far worse for
the economy, and Clive Palmer thinks the same, and the United Australia Party thinks the same.
Having the Coalition come out so strongly and identify where their preferences should
go, to Clive Palmer is like endorsing his brand as well.
It is like giving a celebrity endorsement.
The United Australia Party is a rebranded version of the now defunct Palmer United Party
which at its height five years ago controlled the balance of the power in the Senate, with
a bloc of four crucial votes.
Jeremy Davey was a member, candidate and deputy leader of the Queensland branch of the party
during these halcyon days.
What was it like to work inside the party?
Very disorganised. I think Working Dog actually could make a comedy series on it when they're
finished with Utopia.
Clive had oversight over everything. I remember a day of trying to buy $100 worth of stamps
but it couldn't be approved until Clive got back into the office.
The golden age for Palmer United lasted only months.
Two senators resigned, Clive Palmer retired from politics and the party was eventually
deregistered.
The vacuum left by the demise of Palmer United
was filled by Pauline Hanson's One Nation but One Nation had its own problems and last
year its New South Wales Senator Brian Burston defected to Clive Palmer's renamed party.
After speaking to Clive and his vision, I thought, well, it lines up with most of my
political aspirations and thoughts for Australia and I thought it would be a good move.
I knew he had resources behind him.
Senator Burston says the United Australia Party is not as extreme as his former party.
We're to the left of One Nation, particularly in regards to our immigration policy.
We're a non-discriminatory immigration policy. It's not based on race, religion. It's based
on everyone being equal and what they can contribute to the country.
Clive Palmer's party is out there to get vote-share from One Nation. He's more centre and that
centre does appeal to people who are looking to put their votes somewhere but who don't
want to go to the left.
But Clive Palmer is no political cleanskin.
For the past three years he has been dogged by controversy over the closure of his Townsville
nickel refinery and the non-payment of tens of millions of dollars in workers' entitlements.
Last year, he was denying responsibility.
It's not that I can't pay people. It's that I don't owe people. I'm going to make sure
that the administrators pay those people for the unconscionable behaviour they did.
Undoubtedly Clive Palmer has made some extraordinarily insensitive comments and we've seen him,
I think, display an inordinate amount of ingratitude to the people of Townsville and that's a real
disappointment.
Clive Palmer has since changed tack - last week announcing he is providing funds for
outstanding payments.
Considering the hard times being experienced in Townsville and in fact, although I was
just a shareholder of the holding company of Queensland Nickel at the time, with no
personal liability, I had arranged for a payment of $7 million for that purpose to be paid
into a solicitor's trust account.
The tens of millions of dollars Clive Palmer has paid for advertising over the past eight
months has more often than not had a positive message.
The best life is a family. The best country is Australia. Love Australia and put Australia first.
If anything, Clive Palmer's campaign is very, very similar to what we see with a commercial
campaign being run.
So it is very much by the commercial playbook of how you might do a commercial marketing
campaign but it's now been applied to politics.
The United Australia Party doesn't operate like a conventional political party.
Its official headquarters here in Brisbane shares the same office as Clive Palmer's private
company.
If you ring the listed telephone number all you get is an answer machine and all the Brisbane
candidates 7.30 has approached for an interview have said they've been directed by the party
not to talk to us.
Clive Palmer himself also declined 7.30's interview request. He held what his office
described as a media conference in Brisbane today but Mr Palmer read out a prepared statement
and walked off without taking any questions.
We have to put Australia first and we're here to win.
Thanks very much.
Mr Palmer...
He seems to be trying to get elected without actually putting himself under scrutiny, the
scrutiny that we would normally expect.
So it is a very different type of campaign here in Australia and of course it's backed
up by the great wealth that he has accumulated from his business dealings.
The rebooted Palmer Party holds no appeal for its former Queensland deputy leader.
I got the invite letter to go back myself which...
Did you take it seriously?
No. It's all a bit of a circus and really, it's a bit insulting.
But Senator Burston believes Clive Palmer's business controversies aren't affecting the party.
According to our polling, we're polling double figures in all states.
So if that translates into seats, it should translate to six senate seats and hopefully
a number of Lower House seats in some states.
Irrespective of the outcome of the election, Clive Palmer may have already achieved his
objective, with an LNP preference deal, the businessman has won back something he lost
four years ago - political influence.
Maybe the money he spent, the $35 million so far he has spent and outlaid in advertising,
is the best investment he's ever made because if his objectives and he can influence policy
in areas he wants to influence policy through the Coalition, that's all he had to do,
right, that's all he wanted to do.