Clive Palmer has warned Tony Abbott must reform the electoral act or his Palmer United Party will block every piece of government legislation in the Senate. The mining billionaire's threat came after he officially requested a recount in the seat of Fairfax on Tuesday, as latest counting showed his lead over Coalition candidate Ted O'Brien had diminished to less than 70 votes. If he is denied a seat in Federal Parliament, Mr Palmer warned he would still exercise power via PUP's Queensland Senator-elect, Glenn Lazarus. He said PUP's first political move would be to push for a reform of the Australian Electoral Act. ''From our point of view we'll have the balance of power in the Senate, so if Tony Abbott doesn't reform the electoral act, we'll just sit there and not pass anything. Nothing,'' he told Fairfax Media. ''I don't give a stuff about a mandate.'' Mr Palmer has accused Australian Electoral Commission workers of ''stuffing'' ballot boxes in the Sunshine Coast seat, after the sharp reverse from his 60-40 lead on election night.

Cosima Marriner