Clive Palmer set to win Fairfax, enter Parliament

Updated

Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer, the founder of the Palmer United Party, looks set to win the Queensland electorate of Fairfax.

With more than 76 per cent of the votes counted, Mr Palmer had attracted about 28 per cent of the primary vote.

Mr Palmer says he is still confident he will win the seat but is unhappy about the AEC's process, accusing them of bias over the recounting of votes.

"They didn't let us know but they started counting again on Sunday, and they didn't let our scrutineers go in there at all or tell us about it," Mr Palmer said.

"We've just sent our people down there now but he [LNP candidate Ted O'Brien] has got no chance of winning.

"But if he does win we will have to challenge it in the court of disputed return."

The Liberal National Party has seen a 9 per cent drop in its primary vote.

The northern Sunshine Coast seat has been held since 1990 by retiring Liberal MP Alex Somlyay.

But the LNP remains a long way from conceding defeat, saying postal votes should favour its candidate Ted O'Brien and help tip him over the line.

The first postal votes will be counted on Monday.

In a Sunday morning interview with the ABC, Mr Palmer began by stipulating that he would not answer any "fat questions" or talk about his diet.

But he says he is confident of winning a House of Representatives seat.

Mr Palmer claims two seats

"Yes we will win Fairfax and Fisher, there's no doubt about that," he said.

"We will have two seats in the house of representatives the seats of Fairfax and Fisher, and will have three seats in the Senate I believe - one in Queensland and Jacqui Lamby in Tasmania and Dio Wang is currently leading the count for the third senate in Western Australia."

Mr Palmer also accused the Australian Electoral Commission of bias over the count in Fairfax.

"They didn't let us know but they started counting again on Sunday and they didn't let our scrutineers go in there at all or tell us about it.

"But we've just sent our people down there now, but he [Mr O'Brien] has got no chance of winning but if he does win we will have to challenge it."

Electoral Commission 'bias'

Mr Palmer is also questioning the independence of the Australian Electoral Commission.

"I think they are a biased organisation that puts roadblocks in the place of people standing for parliament," he said.

"Our scrutineers know that I've won the seat of Fairfax and unless someone interferes with the ballots as they well could, I'll be the member."

Mr Palmer was also talking tough on pecuniary interest requirements.

"I won't be changing any of my business arrangements at all, neither should any citizen when they offer to serve the public, there should be no penalty against them, there's no requirement to do so.

"The first thing we want to do is to say that as a company director in Australia under corporations law I've got to declare any interests - I've got to leave the room and not participate in discussion.

"Unfortunately in federal politics, in Cabinet, there's no such requirement so firstly we will be asking our politicians to be accountable and understanding which they haven't got at the moment and we will be seeking to highlight that when parliament resumes.

"We've got to remember the party registered about eight weeks ago.

"It is surprising that we got 6 per cent national vote - more than the national party's got and they've been going for more than 100 years.

"It is also surprising that our 6 per cent of the vote swung the election Tony Abbott's way, which he wouldn't have done without it.

"It's also surprising in Queensland, in particular, we've got 11 percent of the vote on first preference and of course that would mean Campbell Newman wouldn't be the Premier at the next election if we didn't support him."

Palmer in parliament 'will be pandemonium'

Nationals frontbencher Barnaby Joyce earlier said he hoped Mr Palmer did not win Fairfax.

"What happens is you have a protest vote that has taken votes away from the Labor Party," he told ABC TV. "If the Labor Party comes in second, he picks up their preferences.

"I hope he doesn't get up. It will be pandemonium.

"I don't think that Clive has given a good reason as to why why he would be a good member of Parliament."

Mr Joyce also said he was concerned about Mr Palmer's eccentricities, such as his plan to build a working replica of the Titanic, and plans for the world's biggest exhibit of animated dinosaurs at his Coolum resort.

All elected representatives need to put their personal agendas aside and work for the interest of the coast Mal Brough

"I really wonder about the Titanic rubbish, the T-Rex on the seventh green rubbish," Mr Joyce said.

"I don't know, what is all that about? And if that ends up in Canberra, we've got some problems."

Mr Palmer also thinks his party could win the neighbouring seat of Fisher, where the LNP's Mal Brough is currently well ahead.

"We think we'll win the seat of Fairfax without any problems and we also think we'll take the seat of Fisher if you understand the preference flows," he said.

Palmer's party flush with funds

But the former Howard government minister Mr Brough says he is quietly confident preferences will see a return of the seat to the LNP.

He also questioned how well Mr Palmer would work with other MPs, should he win the Fairfax seat.

"All elected representatives need to put their personal agendas aside and work for the interest of the coast.

"If we can do that, we can make this place a better place but egos need to be left at home as well," he said.

Mr Palmer has promised to cut taxes, increase the pension and boost health spending.

His Palmer United Party contested most of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives.

In August, he accused Labor and the Coalition of being run out of the United States.

"One's being directed by Obama's media team - Kevin Rudd - the other's being directed by Rupert Murdoch, by remote control, maybe by Skype, Twitter, from New York," he said.

The mining magnate has not revealed how much he contributed to his party's campaign.

"I can tell you that our campaign will be many millions of dollars so that people can understand what's important is what we think about politics," he said.

Prior to running for Fairfax, Mr Palmer had indicated an interest in being the LNP candidate against former treasurer Wayne Swan in Lilley, but the idea was discouraged by the Coalition.

The larger-than-life businessman recently caused a stir when he threatened to sue media tycoon Rupert Murdoch over an opinion piece questioning his credentials, and claimed Mr Murdoch's estranged wife was a Chinese spy.

Keep across the latest results in Fairfax here.

Topics: federal-elections, elections, government-and-politics, maroochydore-4558, qld, australia

First posted