Palmer United Party senators will not block supply but may hold up business in the Senate unless they get more support staff, Clive Palmer says.
The PUP will have three senators from July 1 next year and has entered into an alliance with the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party's Ricky Muir.
Mr Palmer says his senators need more staff to help them understand and process legislation before they vote on it.
He says the Greens received additional staff resources under the Gillard government to help with the volume of work, and his members deserve the same.
"This is all we're talking about, we're not talking about policy or extra resources to do things for us, we're talking about ... our senators can't vote for bills unless they know what the implications are for them," he told Fairfax Radio on Friday.
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"We think we need more people to look at it and be able to advise us what the essence of it is so we don't delay anything."
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ruled out any additional resources for the PUP senators, saying he would adhere to the standard convention on staffing minor parties and independents.
Mr Palmer said he had not taken the issue up with Mr Abbott.
"That's up to him at what level he wants the Senate to function at," Mr Palmer said.
"I can only say that our people won't vote for things they don't understand.
"We're very keen to help the government create legislation but to do so we all have to understand what it says."
Mr Palmer also says any talk of Mr Muir shifting to the Palmer party is hypothetical.
Mr Muir has agreed to vote in a bloc with PUP senators, but Victorian members of the motoring party say they weren't consulted.
They'll meet on Wednesday to discuss Mr Muir's future with the party.
But Mr Palmer said Mr Muir would not be expelled, and downplayed any talk of him joining the Palmer party.
"Oh well that's hypothetical. He won't be dumped from the party," the mining magnate told AAP.
"The people who make these statements have no power within the party."
Mr Palmer said the nature of his alliance with Mr Muir was simple: the PUP will support Mr Muir's policies and he will support theirs.
