Clive Palmer issues warning to Government as Motoring Enthusiast Ricky Muir joins Senate voting bloc

Updated

Clive Palmer has warned the Abbott Government it faces a "very cold winter" if it tries to split his Senate voting bloc, which has been bolstered by the Motoring Enthusiast Party's senator-elect, Ricky Muir.

Mr Palmer's three Palmer United Party senators will work with the Victorian senator-elect in a deal the multi-billionaire said was about "like-minded people working together".

The deal extends Mr Palmer's hold on the balance of power in the new Senate, which will change over next July.

But Prime Minister Tony Abbott has issued his own warning in response, telling the minor parties to respect his Government's "clear mandate".

"Particularly after the difficulties of the last Parliament, I think the public want to see a much more constructive Parliament this time," Mr Abbott said, speaking at the East Asia Summit in Brunei.

"I am confident that every member of this Parliament will want to see a different spirit this time than last time, and I'm confident that everyone in this Parliament very well understands that this Government has a clear mandate to get certain things done.

"And I'm confident that minor parties in the Senate understand that and will support that."

Mr Palmer's announcement was made at a press conference in Sydney, presided over by the mining magnate and attended by Mr Muir and PUP senators-elect Glenn Lazarus (Queensland), Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania) and Dio Wang (Western Australia).

Mr Muir, who was elected with just 0.5 per cent of the primary vote, has largely been out of the public spotlight since the September 7 election.

Earlier this week, the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party sacked its Victorian branch, leaving Mr Muir reporting to a head office in Queensland.

But the senator-elect says he has not been in "hiding".

If 'Erica' says he wants to negotiate individually with people, well, he'll have to negotiate with our team or he won't be negotiating at all. It'll be a very, very, very, very cold winter. Clive Palmer

"I've been busy trying to tee up the best deal I can for the Motoring Enthusiasts," he said, adding that he had won PUP support for his motoring policies and would back the policies of Mr Palmer's party.

"It is our intention to vote together with the Palmer United Party in the Senate," he said.

"This will provide the Government and the people of Australia with certainty.

"Together, I can do so much more than I could have achieved alone."

Palmer takes swipe at 'Erica' Abetz

Mr Palmer also painted the deal as a source of stability but warned the Government's leader in the Senate, Eric Abetz, to respect the voting bloc - and did so using a derogatory nickname for the Liberal senator.

Underestimate Clive Palmer at your peril

Clive Palmer, who made headlines for putting dinosaurs at his Coolum resort and rebuilding the Titanic, is a skilful media operator who politicians underestimate at their peril, observers say. Clive Palmer, who made headlines for putting dinosaurs at his Coolum resort and rebuilding the Titanic, is a skilful media operator who politicians underestimate at their peril, observers say. Australian Story reports

"This is a message really given that if Senator Abetz - if Erica says he wants to negotiate individually with people, well, he'll have to negotiate with our team or he won't be negotiating at all," Mr Palmer said.

"It'll be a very, very, very, very cold winter.

"But we hope we can bring that into a nice prosperous summer for the Government and the people of Australia."

The businessman has also used the new arrangement to bolster his case for extra resources, arguing that because his party will hold the balance of power it should receive the same funding as the Greens.

"History and the Australian people have placed these four senators in a position where they have to make critical decisions on a whole range of issues at an important time, and they don't want to make them in an uninformed manner or in an irresponsible manner," he said.

"If we look at what sort of resources the Greens had in the last Parliament to do that job, it's the same sort of resources that they'll need."

A political party needs five members of Parliament to gain official party status and earn the right to the extra funding.

Recount ordered in Western Australia

Meanwhile, in a development that could affect the future of PUP senator-elect Dio Wang, the Australian Electoral Commission has ordered a recount of more than 1 million Senate votes in Western Australia.

The direction was prompted by the close Senate count and appeals from both the Greens' Scott Ludlam, who lost his seat, and Australian Sports Party candidate Wayne Dropulich, who was edged out in final preferences.

But even if Mr Wang loses in the recount, Mr Palmer's party would still hold the crucial votes in the Senate.

The recount also puts the Senate seat of Labor's Louise Pratt in question.

Mr Palmer's own race in the Queensland Lower House seat of Fairfax has gone down to the wire in a recount that could take weeks, though he remains confident of victory.

The businessman says he has not decided whether to accept $2.2 million in electoral funding returned by the Australian Electoral Commission, in line with electoral laws regarding taxpayer funding for campaigns.

On Lateline last night, Mr Palmer said he did not know exactly how much he had spent on the campaign.

"My wife knows. Somewhere between $8 million and $12 million, I suppose," he said.

He promised he would not be "claiming any entitlements" while in Parliament.

Topics: federal-elections, federal---state-issues, federal-government, government-and-politics, coolum-beach-4573, qld, australia

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