Palmer still considering LNP preselection

13 Aug 2012, 7:14 pm   -   Source: AAP
Billionaire Clive Palmer say he still wants to be an LNP candidate at the next federal election. (AAP)

Billionaire Clive Palmer say he still wants to be an LNP candidate at the next federal election. (AAP)

Clive Palmer still wants to be an LNP candidate at the next federal election, despite public stoushes with Tony Abbott and Campbell Newman.

First he took on federal opposition leader Tony Abbott, and now billionaire Clive Palmer has the Queensland premier in his sights.

The latest stoush has elevated the mining boss to poster-boy status with the union fighting Campbell Newman's public-sector job cuts.

Mr Palmer, who wants to represent the Liberal National Party (LNP) at the next federal election, opened the latest chapter in his turbulent relationship with the party by criticising Mr Newman's plan to slash 20,000 public servants to help beat down the state's debt.

"They've said that their main strategy is to cut costs. Well, if we get rid of 20,000 employees we save about $1.8 billion and our total deficit now is about $100 billion, so we're not even covering the interest," Mr Palmer told ABC Radio on Monday.

"What the state needs is a growth policy as well as a cutting policy."

The outburst prompted Mr Newman to return fire, accusing Mr Palmer of trying to use mates within the party to pressure ministers inappropriately to meet with him to advance one of his developments - a multi-billion-dollar Sunshine Coast-based international airport and casino.

But when Mr Palmer dared the premier to report him to the Crime and Misconduct Commission over the allegations, Mr Newman backtracked.

"Let's just be very clear," he told reporters in Brisbane.

"I was talking about inappropriate conduct. I made no suggestions of illegality.

"If I felt something illegal had happened, I would have done that already."

Queensland's public-sector union Together said Mr Palmer cared more about the state more than the premier did.

"What we've seen is Clive Palmer is now more in touch with community attitudes than this government in relation to the job cuts across the public sector," Together secretary Alex Scott told reporters in Brisbane on Monday.

"Clive Palmer is once again being targeted for his willingness to stand up and say what this government doesn't want to hear."

The public stoush is similar to one Mr Palmer had with Mr Abbott in June over whether paid political lobbyists should be banned from the Liberal Party executive.

Mr Palmer was alleged to have told supporters he felt threatened by the opposition leader's "visceral" response, and that Mr Abbott had sworn at him.

The mining billionaire publicly apologised to the coalition leader after the argument, saying he'd raised his voice and used bad language as well.

The public slanging matches come after Mr Palmer announced he was considering LNP preselection in the lead-up to the next federal election.

He has previously indicated he would run for Treasurer Wayne Swan's Brisbane seat of Lilley but did not nominate.

Mr Palmer, who then indicated he might take on Bob Katter in Kennedy in north Queensland or the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax, said his spats with Mr Newman and Mr Abbott had not quashed his political ambitions.

"It makes no difference to my decision whatsoever," he told AAP.

"They still haven't called for nominations ... and I'm still considering it."

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