Clive Palmer will attempt to reignite his political career by running for the Senate at the forthcoming federal election.
The mining billionaire said he would lead the United Australia Party’s Queensland Senate ticket, nine years after he was elected as a one-time lower house MP to the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax.
Making the announcement at Brisbane’s Hyatt Regency on Wednesday, Mr Palmer said he believed he could beat high-profile conservative competitors Pauline Hanson, former Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and Liberal Amanda Stoker.
The 67-year-old said he would run the “largest and most extensive political campaign” in the nation’s history.
It comes after his party spent a whopping $83m at the 2019 election going on an anti-Labor advertising blitz in the final weeks and failing to win any seats.
“We’re very confident we’ll win Senate seats in Queensland and we’ll win House of Reps seats,” he said on Wednesday.
“We’re standing as the alternate party against the Liberal-Labor duopoly, we’re standing in every seat in the House of Reps.
“I don’t think we have any problems raising money or having the necessary financial resources.”
Mr Palmer told reporters he was unvaccinated despite a check-in at the hotel saying proof of being immunised was needed to gain entry.
He said he wanted to make UAP leader and former Liberal MP Craig Kelly the future Prime Minister.
“The fact of the matter is that politicians from the Liberal and Labor parties could not get a job ouxjmtzywtside of parliament,” he said.
“We need to tell them they are dreaming and that we need to elect Craig Kelly as the next Prime Minister.”
