Australian politics is changing a lot faster than people realise including myself. I started to write a post on the Bill Shorten v Anthony Albanese battle for the Labor Party leadership as it is set to be announced on Sunday and has the historic element in that the members can now vote for the leader. Then I thought, who cares.
The opposition leader who looks like having the most power over the next three years, or until the next election, is Clive Palmer of the Palmer United Party, not the Labor Party leader. That is even more so now since Clive announced his deal with Ricky Muir of the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party to vote together on legislation in the Senate.
“The Abbott government will need the votes of at least six cross-benchers to pass legislation opposed by Labor and the Greens.”
“If it won the support of the Palmer alliance, it would need the votes of two or the other crossbenchers, Nick Xenophon, Liberal Democratic Party Senator David Leyonhjelm, Family First Senator Bob Day and Democratic Labor Party Senator John Madigan.” (Click here to read more)
The PUP Party is already being written off by some but there are four issues that seem to suggest they will survive and grow, which I will deal with at the end of the post.
Who is the Palmer United Party
It is a party that was thrown together in record time before the last federal election by mining magnate Clive Palmer. It managed to get almost six percent of the vote nationally and had three senators elected as well as Clive Palmer in the lower house, although two recounts currently in progress could change one senator and Mr Palmer’s position.
One issue that grabbed my attention was that PUP Party did run an anti-corruption policy to some degree during the election campaign as I remember reading it on one of their flyers.
Their website makes some rather big calls, for want of a better description. It lists none other than Robert Menzies on the former leaders page, as well as Billy Hughes and Joseph Lyons.
It says in relation to the party and Clive: “In 2013 the United Australia Party was re-launched by party leader Professor Clive Frederick Palmer, a renowned Australian National Living Treasure & Philanthropist.” (Click here to read more)
Labor Party in crisis
At 2pm on Sunday the 13th October 2013 the Labor Party will announce its new leader. For the first time the party members have a voice and make up 50% of the vote that will decide the leader. This is a major change away from the old union controlled factions that decided the fate of Labor Party Prime Ministers.
The change might not achieve much but it is a start and further changes will happen, not because the party power brokers want to change, but because they have no choice if they are to survive,
Australia will never get to a situation like the Arab countries where there was mass protests and governments were overthrown which is known as the Arab Spring. But Australia has overthrown governments at the ballot box, ask any Queenslander where the Labor Party, since the 2012 election, has 7 members of a 89 member parliament. The Labor Party at the moment are nothing more than a running joke in QLD and you can add NSW Labor with all their corruption which will be played out in the courts over the next few years.
Enter the Palmer United Party in federal politics and the Labor Party will be starting to worry in a major way about their own survival.
PUP Party – Looking Forward
There are 4 key reasons that point to the PUP Party being around for quite some time..
1. Clive Palmer has been around politics a long time, so he is no novice. It says this on Wikipedia:
“Palmer was instrumental in the split of the South Australian conservatives in the 1970s, and was active in the Liberal Movement headed by former Premier of South Australia Steele Hall. Palmer joined the Queensland division of the National Party of Australia in 1974, having been influenced by the policies of Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Premier of Queensland at the time. From the early 1980s onwards, he was involved in state politics, serving as the National Party’s campaign director during the 1983 state election and as media spokesman during its 1986 election campaign, both of which were successful.”
2. People are sick of the two major parties and looking for someone else to vote for.
The Palmer United Party received almost 6 percent of the national vote even though the party only formed in April 2013 and the election was 5 months later in September 2013. By the next election they would have been around for over 3 years and received plenty of media attention, so one would expect them to do a lot better at the next election. Unless of course they do a lot of stupid things, but I think Clive is too smart for that.
3. The PUP Party will be extremely well-funded.
I have read different reports on how much the PUP Party spent on the election with one figure an estimated $12 million. What can be said is that come the next election the PUP Party will be well-funded by the mining sector and other interested business groups. Probably the best funded new party the country has ever seen.
4. The Labor Party and Greens are on the nose with a lot of voters and based on history the Liberal Party will have lost some support by the next federal election as most incumbents do. This leaves the door open for a well-funded and managed party like the PUP Party to go from its initial 6 percent of the vote up to maybe 15% or so.
Clive Palmer may say some stupid things as times, but so do the leaders of the other parties. I think Clive and his Party are here to stay for quite a while. Whether or not it is good for the country is another question. From this sites viewpoint, lets see what they do in relation to corruption on a federal level.
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Categories: Clive Palmer
I think the man is unhinged, and the more exposure he gets, the more apparent that will become.
But that possible fact is minor when one considers the systemic corruption issue, the important question is,..is he honest?
Spot on BenD, – Most people, – including myself, are guilty of making silly statements now and then, but the BIG question is whether a person is being HONEST.
You’re stating that a possibly unhinged man, holding balance of power (via his puppet senators), is a minor point?
That’s it Ben. His words will never be as important as his actions. That is where our focus needs to be.
It is quite obvious that you have never met Clive Palmer and are basing your opinions about him on things that the media have told you. If you are that big a fan of Rupert Murdoch then you will continue to get the government you deserve. Palmer United has done a fantastic job to get as far as it has in the time that was available. The party’s popularity will only continue to grow with further media coverage, because right up until election day many people were still only finding out the most basic information about the party and its candidates. There will be many state elections between now and the next federal election and by then you will have a far better idea of who Clive Palmer is and what the party stands for. Hopefully by that stage you will be voting for the new major force in Australian politics and not whoever Rupert tells you to vote for.
You really need to stop reading the Murdoch papers, Christopher, and focus on ALL the other means Palmer has employed to exhibit his unhinged self. You seem to be of the opinion that if someone doesn’t rate your chosen one as you do, they have been brainwashed by Rupert. The arrogant tone of your reply shows that you have much in common with Palmer.
HI Shane good to hear from you lad I was beginning to think that maybe you were stumped for words as Abbott appears to have the press gagged .
Your item about Clive Palmer is welcome as many of us believe you are right he will be a force to be reckoned with.
What is really scary is both Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese are not ruling out the return of Kevin Rudd to be honest we feel he will be back as none of the others have the guts to take on Abbott like he does, hopefully Mr Palmer will fix him up as well as we honestly are in despair of the two main parties it is as though they are running a business for themselves with us the losers.
How was Ms Gillard right up there on her soap box crying poor me grrrrr!!!! She forgot she did the damage in the first place with stabbing Kevin Rudd in the back I have not had time to check it out but it sounds like she got a lot of home truths through Twitter and Facebook ( don’t quote me on that as I did not check for myself)
There is an old saying “what goes around comes around”
Kindest regards.
Patti.
I believe if the Labour Party gives K Rudd a guernsey, the Party will be destroyed. He will take all the publicity away from whatever the leader of the Labour Party does. K Rudd has too many skeletons in the closet and Tony Abbott could have a field day at question time.
Tony Abbott has not “gagged” the press.
He made it quite clear that government business was not 24 hour news as the previous Labor Party liked it to be in order to hide their shenanigans and complete ineptitude.
I think that many people who voted for PUP thought that he would give them $2,500 ‘because he is a billionare’ (quote)
In any case, what ever he does in the next term of Parliament will seal the fate of PUP.
How on earth could you think that People who voted for Clive Palmer would think they would get money? People who supported the Palmer United Party were behind their candidates and Clive as the leader of the party. Most PUP members are disgruntled Liberal supporters like myself who just shook their head at how the Liberal and Labor parties have become the same with no ideas (granted the Labor government did have some good ideas, but they were all poorly executed). Clive Palmer is a visionary and has some very clever people around him and will turn Australian politics in the right direction. This self serving government will fail as is already happening and Labor will still be wondering what has happened for years. The Greens are now irrelevant.
Clive Palmer is a spoilt rich brat and his political career will last as long as the rest of the idiots that think they can change the world. Buying your way into positions of power does not work proof of this is America. Palmer talks garbage and is already blackmailing the elected govenment. We do not need nuts like him to run the country we have just got rid of a bunch of retards. Allan from Myalup. WA.
I disagree. I voted for PUP because they are economic rationalists, and their policy regarding making company tax in arrears was sheer brilliance. The problem for PUP will be if they try to take the middle ground. I think they will lose support if they do. They are best advised to stick to the right of the LNP and be socially progressive. That is virgin territory on the political spectrum.
Moderator: Comment deleted as it is going way off topic of the post
For some reason they want us to believe there is only a political choice of two. Let’s give PUP a go, we’ve given the other majors plenty of rope over decades.
In the last federal Senate election, here in Tasmania I numbered about 50+ names and every candidate not associated with ALP, LNP or GREENS – regardless of whether I agreed or disagreed with their policies, – got a tick from me BEFORE I numbered any from the three major parties.
I have many friends who are equally browned off by major parties controlling how people vote.
Bring on optional preferential voting where even if we only number one square, it is still counted.
Exhaustive preferential voting is a pox, where eventually your vote must go to one of the major parties, AND THEY KNOW IT..
I agree Craig and well said in a few words.
A third force had to happen and thank God Clive had the money, time, foresight, caring and dedication to help bring about a much needed change in this country that we all have been literally praying for, for too many years now.
Since we lost Joe in unforgivable evil political circumstances the backs, hearts and minds of our FARMERS (the real Australians) have been irreparably broken.
This is a most disgusting and shameful leadership of the two major political parties drunk on their huge abnormal egos and corruptible powers for their own personal self interest and that of their own families financial gain for UNTOUCHABLE empire building off the Australian tax payers blood sweat and tears–when is it going to stop?.
THEY ARE NOT FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS AND AUSTRALIA’S PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE BENEFIT AND GOOD.
There is non so blind who can’t see, go out bush and talk to the real Australians they’ll give you an earful that’s for sure as Clive personally knows this too.
So lets cut the political “no hopers like Rudd” TOE holds off and GIVE a born and bred visionary Australian man ALREADY with lots of his own money and empire and all MADE AND KEPT IN AUSTRALIA and who personally HARD earned the dam stuff himself (living in a tent in the hot desert for lots of years)– A FAIR GO.
Compared to the others this man “does give a S*IT” for this country
“……Australia will never get to a situation like the Arab countries where there was mass protests and governments were overthrown…..”
Not so sure about that. Given a major world financial crisis (‘when’ not ‘if’) and when the legions with their hands in taxpayer’s back pockets for their ‘entitlements’ miss a cheque or two…..watch out..
Palmer is the best thing to happen to Oz politics since Whitlam got the boot and I hope that he shakes up what is a rotten-to-the-core system. And I hope the LDP also get on side to block Abbott’s socialist agenda and the two-party rort.
Good unbiased honest assessment. I have it on good authority that the election budget was $150,000 per candidate, and most of that was spent in the last three weeks. Making a total budget of $25 million. Prior to the advertising blitz the PUP party was sitting on 1.6%. It was a well orchestrated campaign that struck a chord with many.
The political duopoly in this country is coming to an end, the voting public has become increasingly aware of the corrupt and manipulative system that is politics, thanks to smartphones and instant media like Facebook and twitter. This is the reason PUP will survive, I remember the greens having the same attitude towards them in the beginning.
And look how long they have endured, it was the deal with Gillard on a carbon tax that sank the greens in the election, so lets hope PUP doesn’t partake in the same behaviour.
I think Clive Palmer has already done the people a service by exposing the AEC’s lack of security in regards our votes, the current disputes that are going on in relation to the senate is a joke on the AEC, we should be demanding an inquiry into AEC practices.
In all honesty, the Westminster political system that we are governed by needs to be completely overhauled, it’s archaic, and over 300 years old, I’m not suggesting a republic, but we need a system of government that is beneficial to all not just the wealthy 5%.
I’m hopeful that PUP will continue to grow in support and become a major force in the way our country is run, sure Clive drops some major gaffes from time to time, but he’s only human, and besides Abbott has the crown for political gaffes, and he’s our PM, could it get any worse, I hope not.
I agree Shane. The Shorten v Albanese leadership battle means nothing. They won’t make a difference to the labor party. The labor party is in decline, possibly terminal and the next 10 years will tell that it will may be just a minor party. The Palmer United party is definitely growing and it could be a major party in 5-10 years because they have already have won a percentage of the vote and they will be a major threat to the Abbott government in the senate especially. The more the Abbott/coalition government be unpopular, the more that Mr Palmer and his party will grow. Not many people will stick with Shorten because Shorten is corrupt and a liar of course, and the labor party is corrupted and unreliable.
Shane, I find this post of yours to be an excellent, objective “watch and see” type of post. Palmer seems to polarize opinions as we can see here in the comments, but in a way this is as it should be when new blood enters the political arena. I personally don’t believe Palmer got where he is by being stupid and I think he probably has the ability to control his troops at least until the Party is bedded down in the Senate and some routine kicks in. My hope is that he retains the spirit of independence that seems to be driving him thus far, and that he can recognize the moment when celebrity and novelty has to give way to hard work and occasional compromise. He owes a hell of a debt to the many who supported him with their votes, and I hope he understands that.