A senator for Clive Palmer's United Australia Party says the businessman will spend $60 million on the election campaign.

Key points: UAP senator Brian Burston says Clive Palmer will spend $60 million on campaign advertising

UAP senator Brian Burston says Clive Palmer will spend $60 million on campaign advertising Spend is believed to be unprecedented in Australian political history

Spend is believed to be unprecedented in Australian political history The United Australia Party is Clive Palmer's latest political vehicle

The United Australia Party is Clive Palmer's latest political vehicle UAP and Liberal National Party have announced preference deal

"We have quite an extensive advertising campaign — the media are putting it at $31 million — I believe he's spent more than that," Senator Brian Burston told 7.30.

"I believe it will end up around $60 million, so its going to ramp up from now.

"We've run about 60,000 TV advertisements across the country to date, and that number is going to increase to about another 90,000, so its going to be very, very significant."

Dr Andrew Hughes, a political marketing researcher at ANU, said he would expect the figure to be closer to the $50 million mark.

But even that lower amount would be well over the combined expected spend of both the major political parties, which he estimated to have been about $30 million in 2016.

"This is an astronomical amount of money we've seen been spent so far by Clive Palmer on this campaign, probably in Australian history," Dr Hughes told 7.30.

"It's one of the highest figures we've ever seen."

Palmer 'trying to get elected without scrutiny'

Former Queensland LNP leader, Tim Nicholls, thinks Clive Palmer is avoiding scrutiny with his campaign. ( ABC News: Christopher Gillette )

The spend is the sort usually reserved for major consumer brands and fast-food companies.

"Clive Palmer's campaign is very, very similar to what we see with a commercial campaign being run," Dr Hughes said.

"It's very much by the commercial play book of how you do a commercial marketing campaign — but now it's being applied to politics."

Clive Palmer questions Clive Palmer has been a hot topic for people submitting questions to the ABC's You Ask, We Answer campaign. Here are some examples: Can Clive Palmer ever be made to pay the money owed to the Queensland Nickel refinery workers?

Can Clive Palmer ever be made to pay the money owed to the Queensland Nickel refinery workers? Why is Clive Palmer spending such a huge amount of money on this election?

Why is Clive Palmer spending such a huge amount of money on this election? Where did Clive Palmer get $30-odd million (or more) for campaigning?

Where did Clive Palmer get $30-odd million (or more) for campaigning? What are the chances Clive Palmer is spending his own money on this campaign? Can it be demonstrated it is his own money?

Former Queensland Liberal National Party (LNP) leader Tim Nicholls said that despite the high-profile advertising campaign Mr Palmer was actually not being forthcoming with voters, with candidates directed not to speak to the media and Mr Palmer himself rejecting requests for interview and refusing to take questions at Monday's press conference.

"He seems to be trying to get elected without actually putting himself under scrutiny, the scrutiny that we would normally expect," he told 7.30.

"So it's a very different type of campaign here in Australia, and it's backed up with the great wealth he's accumulated through his business dealings."

The effects of that campaign is now showing up in polling, with the latest Newspoll showing support for the UAP had lifted to 5 per cent, enough to give it significant influence.

"People tell me they're sick of seeing Clive on the TV — I say, isn't that good, you're not missing it. And I don't think anyone is missing it," Senator Burston said.

After being written off a spent political force, Clive Palmer's United Australia Party (UAP) has re-emerged as a significant player after the announcement of a preference dealt with the LNP.

"Having the Coalition come out so strongly and identify where their preferences should go, to Clive Palmer, is like endorsing his brand as well — it's like giving a celebrity endorsement," Dr Hughes said.

UAP is after One Nation votes

Brian Burston announces he is quitting One Nation and will join Clive Palmer's United Australia Party. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts )

The UAP is a rebranded version of the Palmer United Party.

Five years ago that party held the balance of power in the Senate, with a bloc of four crucial votes.

But it all fell apart after only a few months when two senators resigned and Mr Palmer's attention was taken up with the controversy surrounding the closure of his Townsville nickel refinery.

Jeremey Davey is former candidate and deputy leader of the Palmer United Party in Queensland.

"Very disorganised. I think (production company) Working Dog could make a comedy series on it when they've finished with Utopia," he told 7.30.

"Clive had oversight over everything — I remember a day of trying to buy $100 worth of stamps, but it couldn't be approved until Clive got back in the office."

Senator Burston is used to chaos.

Originally elected as senator with Pauline Hanson's One Nation he resigned and joined the UAP in June 2018.

He said the UAP was different from his former party.

"We're to the left of One Nation, particularly in regards to our immigration policy," he said.

"We're a non-discriminatory immigration policy. It's not based on race or religion, it's based on everyone being equal and what they can contribute to the country."

According to Dr Hughes, the two parties are competing for the same voters.

"Clive Palmer's party is out there to get vote share against One Nation," he said.

"He's more centre, and that centre does appeal to people who are looking to put their votes somewhere but don't want to go to the left."

'Maybe the best investment Palmer's ever made'

Dr Andrew Hughes says Clive Palmer's advertising spending is unprecedented in Australia. ( ABC News: James Elton )

Mr Palmer's private businesses have been under intense scrutiny since the closure of the nickel refinery.

He is currently involved in a legal battle with the Federal Government over money owed to former refinery workers.

Mr Palmer has said he paid $7 million into a workers' trust fund to help cover the unpaid wages.

"It was the administrators who, despite the direction of joint venture partners, refused to transfer employees and assets to a new operator, which would have allowed workers to keep their jobs," a spokesperson for the UAP said in a statement to 7.30.

"Mr Palmer has made good to pay unpaid workers' entitlements despite neither he nor his companies being responsible for these sackings."

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Senator Burston doesn't see the ongoing problems with the refinery in terms of the election.

"According to our polling, we're polling double figures in all states," he said.

"So if that translates into seats, it should translate into six Senate seats and hopefully a number of Lower House seats in some states."

Irrespective of the outcome of the election, Mr Palmer may have already achieved his objective — winning back political influence.

"Maybe the money he's spent, the $35 million he's spent, he's outlaid in advertising, is the best investment he's ever made," Dr Hughes said.

"Because if his objectives, and he can influence policy in the areas he wants to influence policy through the Coalition. That's all you have to do. That's all he wanted to do."