Palmer United Party (PUP) leader Clive Palmer says he is suing Campbell Newman for defamation over the Queensland Premier's claims Mr Palmer is trying to buy governments around Australia.

Mr Newman demanded to know if Mr Palmer offered "inducements" and "cash" to three former Northern Territory CLP members, who will join PUP.

Mr Palmer confirmed Larisa Lee, Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu and Alison Anderson will join the party after they quit the CLP earlier this month and moved to the NT crossbench.

"To make it clear, we offered them nothing," Mr Palmer said on ABC Radio this morning.

"There's been no inducements been offered to them at all. I got a telephone call on Friday night - it said they wanted to meet with me.

"I explained I couldn't go to the Northern Territory [and that] if they could come to Queensland, I'd be happy to meet with them.

"They came to Queensland, they asked us about our party. We offered them nothing and they wanted to join us because we stood for the right things and they were sick and tired of the two-party system."

Ms Anderson yesterday confirmed she made the first contact with Mr Palmer and she was not paid to join PUP.

She arrived at Alice Springs in Mr Palmer's jet on Sunday afternoon and said the move was about having a third choice for voters in the Northern Territory.

"It is about unity of the NT and engaging in another party that comes forward to the NT and Clive Palmer is certainly welcome in the NT," she said.

"We want his wealth of knowledge."

Ms Anderson says she would consider backing the CLP if it dumped Adam Giles as Chief Minister.

"Adam Giles is a nuisance, and he acts like a nuisance, he's not a leadership quality and I think the Country Liberals need to roll him," she said.

Mr Palmer says Mr Newman's claims are a personal attack on his integrity.

Sorry, this video has expired Clive Palmer to sue Queensland Premier Newman for defamation

"Firstly they're untrue, they're highly defamatory and they're attacking my integrity," Mr Palmer said.

"This is a political attack by an angry man. There'll be no settlement, no negotiations, the matter will go to trial."

Mr Palmer says he will begin legal proceedings as soon as possible.

"Mr Newman will have the opportunity to present all the evidence he has of such matters before the courts - the Supreme Court of Queensland," he said.

Palmer trying to 'buy people's votes'

Speaking in Brisbane on Sunday morning, Mr Newman accused Mr Palmer of trying to buy the Queensland Government.

"We said, 'we are not for sale'. As a result, he has gone on a rampage around Australia, trying to buy other people and buy people's votes," Mr Newman said.

"I ask, what inducements were offered to these three MPs? What cash? What jobs? What financial support for elections? What offers were made for them to jump ship?"

Mr Newman also took aim at Mr Palmer's Queensland Nickel company, which was under fire over the release of toxic waste from its tailings dams at a refinery near Townsville earlier this year.

"I call on Mr Palmer today to do one thing: stop spending money on election campaigning around Australia when you don't seem to have the money to fulfil your environmental obligations in Townsville and your obligations to 1,000 men and women who rely on jobs at the nickel refinery," he said.

"What about the hundreds of people who lost their job at the Palmer resort? Again, he spends money on election advertising while that resort, which was once an iconic Queensland destination, is falling apart and is a sad, sick joke."

Several Queensland Cabinet ministers have today repeated the allegation, saying Mr Palmer should focus on his businesses in the state, not his expanding political empire.

Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell said Mr Palmer should be more worried about local jobs.

"Mr Palmer's spent a lot of money on election campaigns," he said.

"My preference is he'd be spending that same amount of money on fixing his nickel refinery but also on fixing the Coolum resort."

Water Minister Mark McArdle said: "Clive Palmer's spending millions of dollars buying people, buying votes," while Treasurer Tim Nicholls said: "People know that Clive Palmer's preferred weapon is his wallet".

Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek accused Mr Palmer of "using money to buy influence".