Mining magnate Clive Palmer has admitted he had a swearing match with Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott over his push to ban lobbyists from the Liberal executive.

Mr Palmer is planning to move a motion at this weekend's meeting of the Liberal Federal Council and flagged his plan with Mr Abbott in Melbourne last week.

He says the discussion with Mr Abbott turned sour when they had a disagreement.

"There certainly was swearing in that match and I was certainly guilty of it as well. I can't recall if Mr Abbott was swearing because I was swearing a bit more than he was," he said.

"I take the view that people who are paid to push a political agenda by corporations shouldn't hold major positions in political parties in this country. Not just the Liberal Party, [but] the Labor Party, the Greens and the National Party."

Mr Abbott has not directly rejected the motion, but says the federal executive should be made up of all walks of life.

Mr Palmer told 7.30 that having politicians who also hold positions as lobbyists leads to corruption.

"Yes, of course it does. If I retain a company to do my bidding for me I expect it to work very hard, especially if I'm a corporation - and that's what a lobbyist does: it lobbies for your particular position in government," he said.

"That becomes terrible if that person happens to be a president or a vice president of a ruling party which is in government, because it compromises the position, and whether there is nothing wrong at all, it's not transparent, and I think the perception is as bad as the practice."

Mr Abbott would not elaborate on the exchange, but has reminded Mr Palmer who is leading the party.

"He is just an ordinary rank-and-file member. He has no more or less influence than any other serving member," he said.

Mr Palmer says he does not receive special treatment because of his financial contributions to the Liberal Party.

"The Government is elected by the people; it's not responsible to me, it's not responsible to corporations, it's responsible for good governance," he said.

"Companies and others who can afford to pay political lobbyists shouldn't have their position confused with people - the average citizen - who can't afford that, and they shouldn't compromise their position by being heads or official members of political parties federally," he said.

"I just think that's a fact and I think we need to come to terms with it."