Ministers of the Crown, a man who would be prime minister, opposition chieftains, union leaders ... they lined up to sup at his table and wheedle at his feet. Crossbenchers who once merrily took his fabulous coin and, having made it to Parliament, were the first to abandon him.

Clive Palmer wanted to be prime minister but crashed and burned during his first term in Parliament. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

All gone now. Now that he can't help anyone any more, not even himself. The liquidators circle.

The House of Representatives, a chamber that has seen brigades of pretenders come and go, was all but empty as Palmer, surely the greatest pretender, lumbered to his feet on Wednesday to snort and bleat and claim to have done great things and announce that we wouldn't have him to kick around any more.

Finally, he was putting an end to the farce that began three years ago when legions of voters allowed themselves to be mesmerised by an overblown Narcissus who imagined himself a future prime minister.