Media Release
Palmer United Party Federal leader Clive Palmer today announced that the Australian Electoral Commission had granted the party’s application for registration and the party was now officially registered.
“This is a great day for the party and also for Australia,” Mr Palmer said.
“For the first time Australia has real choice instead of the duopoly that Liberal and Labor have created by voting together to keep other alternatives out of the Federal parliament.”
Mr Palmer said the Palmer United Party would field candidates in all 150 seats across the country along with a Senate ticket in each state and territory.
“The established parties talk about helping the country but all they’ve ever done is stifle political alternatives,” Mr Palmer said.
“Unlike them, the Palmer United Party is not comprised of career politicians. We’re worldly and our candidates include a wide cross section of people from all walks of life.”
The party’s candidates include former world boxing champion Barry Michael, rugby league stars Glenn Lazarus and Matt Adamson, AFL-footballer Doug Hawkins and businessman John Bjelke-Petersen.
Indigenous candidates include former Aboriginal Corporation of the West Cape York Traditional Land Owners chief executive Bruce Gibson, and Trevor Hedland, executive director of Indigenous services provider National Aboriginal Solutions.
“The constitution was set up for people to provide public service for one or two terms and then to move back to whatever they did but the current model is about having career politicians who finish university, start as juniors in a political office, become an advisor, if they do well as an advisor they get endorsed to become a candidate and if they’re really bad as a candidate they usually become leader,” Mr Palmer said.
“When they get thrown out of government they then become a lobbyist and the cycle starts again. That’s not what we’re about. We want to make a real difference and use common sense policies to offer a real choice for Australians at this next Federal election.”
ENDS