“Tony Abbott won the election on a four-and-a-half per cent swing against the Labor Party. Our vote was six per cent nationally. We preferenced the Liberals. If we had of preferenced the Labor Party, Labor would still be in government. That’s the big story,” he told SBS political reporter Richard Davis.
“The second big story is that our vote at six per cent nationally was greater than the vote that the National Party received nationally in 100 years.”
Mr Palmer is set to win the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax. In the neighbouring seat of Fisher, Palmer United party (PUP) candidate William Schoch may beat former Howard government minister Mal Brough.
PUP will also have at least one senator, possibly two, from July 1, 2014.
Mr Palmer said it was extraordinary what his party has achieved in a short time.
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“What we’ve done in eight weeks, whatever your political views are, is an extraordinary result,” he said.
“It took the Greens 20 years to get a seat in the House of Representatives. We’ve got two in eight weeks. So it does indicate that people are ready to listen to a proper alternative.”
The mining magnate said he looked forward to making a political contribution to Australia.
“Parliament should be a place where you debate the ideas that are important for the nation,” he said.
