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Federal Leader of the United Australia Party, Clive Palmer, has announced the appointment of business owner Russel Sewell as Shadow Treasurer.

Raised in Perth and with qualifications in software automation, Mr Sewell has worked internationally in Hong Kong and China.

He is an active participant in community and local issues, including illegal dumping, environmental management and urban planning.

When just 26 years of age, Mr Sewell was assigned to establish an overseas office and undertake business in the People’s Republic of China, signing a multi-million dollar contract the following year.

He is a strong believer in equality and fairness across genders and races as well as an equitable taxation system that will treat all Australians fairly.

“I want to see a better and more reliable banking system that will benefit customers and not just bank executives and shareholders,’’ Mr Sewell said.

“There should be greater emphasis on industry and investigation of processing our mineral and raw material wealth for the great benefit of all Australians,’’ he said.

Mr Sewell is a United Australia Party Senate candidate in WA.

Clive Palmer said hardworking Australians were looking for an effective alternative and that alternative was the United Australia Party.

“We will provide the strong leadership, the vision, the policies and the plan to make Australia great again,’’ he said.

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Federal Leader of the United Australia Party, Clive Palmer, has announced the appointment of long-term government executive and mental health advocate Patrick Hardwick as the Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Ageing.

Mr Hardwick has worked as a senior commonwealth public servant for over 30 years in the area of social welfare, employment, infrastructure, veteran affairs, health and immigration.

For nine years he was a mental health carer for his wife and has been one of Australia’s leading mental health carer advocates for the past 18 years.

He has a long history of managing the ministerial and parliamentary section of the Department of Home Affairs in WA.

Mr Hardwick is a Senate candidate in WA for the United Australia Party.

“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 established parties talk about helping the country but all they’ve ever done is stifle political alternatives,” Mr Palmer said.

“Unlike them, the United Australia Party is not comprised of career politicians. We are a party made up of genuine Australians who want to serve the country, to change the course of history and steer in a bright new era for Australia,’’ he said.

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Domestic violence advocate Cindy Duncan has been appointed the United Australia Party’s Shadow Minister for the Status of Women, Federal Leader Clive Palmer announced today.

The United Australia Party’s candidate for the New England electorate, Ms Duncan benefited first hand from the former Palmer United Party’s efforts in ensuring the government’s planned $25.5 million cuts to domestic violence funding did not go ahead.

Ms Duncan has broad life experience having spent time in the Army, and as a business owner, legal secretary and journalist.

Having endured a challenging 29-year marriage, she says she is very grateful for Mr Palmer’s stance on women’s rights.

“Australia is at a political and social precipice,’’ Ms Duncan said.

“As Australians, it’s time we recognized just how much our political leaders have neglected us and our nation’s resources.

“The United Australia Party has sound policies that I believe can correct the mistakes made by past governments to help all Australians, not the select few,’’ she said.

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Federal Leader of the United Australia Party, Clive Palmer, has criticised the role of left-wing lobby group GetUp in supporting Warringah independent Zali Steggall.

He said the partially foreign-funded group should not be interfering in the federal election.

“GetUp, which is conducting a major campaign in Warringah and other seats, has a history of receiving foreign donations.

“Influence from overseas interests should have no place in Australian politics,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“The United Australia Party’s Suellen Wrightson is the only true honest voice for the people of Warringah,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Suellen is an outstanding candidate with an incredible work ethic and ability to connect with everyday Australians.

“She may not have a law degree like her Warringah opponents do, but she has excellent life experience and  a passion to make Australia great,’’ he said.

Ms Wrightson has a strong political background having campaigned as a Federal Senate candidate for the Palmer United Party in 2013 and serving as an elected member of the Cessnock City Council from 2012-2015 where she was a member of the Joint Regional Planning Panel for the Hunter region.

She is committed to helping everyday Australians and improving the lives of people in the community.

“There is no greater reward than being able to help someone get through life easier as a civic servant to my community,’’ she said.

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The United Australia Party has launched a high court application against the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to stop the publishing of early theoretical election results in eastern states until the close of polls in all electoral divisions around Australia.

The court action has been instigated by United Australia Party Federal Leader Clive Palmer and United Australia Party federal candidates from Western Australia and the Northern Territory, who are most impacted by the current system.

“Because of the time differences across Australia, the current procedure improperly favours major parties,” Mr Palmer said.

“It creates an appearance that the AEC is biased by determining the two most likely candidates and can cause for misleading information to be delivered to voters while polls are still open across Australia,’’ he said.

“The United Australia Party believes the present method greatly infringes on voters’ free choice in an election and is not consistent with the maintenance of the constitutionally prescribed system of representative government.”

The United Australia Party is seeking to prohibit the AEC from making available to the public the identity of candidates it selects and not the voters as most likely to win a division until after 9pm (AEST), once the polls in all electoral divisions around Australia have closed.

“In 2013 the AEC was excluding the Palmer United Party vote in the seat of Fairfax in which I was standing,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“The early results didn’t have our vote in the calculations yet I went on  to win the seat with a vote of 50.3%, the biggest swing in Australian history,’’ Mr Palmer said.

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Federal Leader of the United Australia Party Clive Palmer says the Coalition’s 2019 budget had fallen well short for regular Australians crying out for true economic leadership.

“The budget did not address the real economic structural changes and sustainable incentives and rewards for all Australians,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Structural changes such as abolishing provisional tax would put $70 billion back into the economy instantly.

“Downstream mineral processing facilities need to be built in Victoria and South Australia, utilising resources from Queensland and Western Australia.

“We need to introduce a zonal taxation system giving regional Australians a 20% tax break, which will encourage people to move to regional areas and reduce infrastructure pressure in our cities.

“We need 300km-an-hour fast trains,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Tax-deductable home loans and lower power prices are also needed today.

“Under a United Australia Party government our structural changes to the economy will increase wages and living standards for all Australians.

“All Australians want to enjoy a better lifestyle and look ahead to a brighter future for their family,’’ Mr Palmer said.

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The United Australia Party will turbo charge regional communities by implementing zonal tax breaks for the bush, candidate for Capricornia Lindsay Sturgeon said today.

“The United Australia Party is committed to taking pressure off major centres and stimulating economic growth in rural areas through a 20% zonal tax break,’’ Mr Sturgeon said.

“Regional communities are the backbone of Australia and need to be supported. 85% of Australia’s income comes from regional areas and it`s not fair that people in the bush suffer from city-centric governance.

“Regional communities need strong representation which we are committed to delivering.

“Policies such as a 20% tax break for people living more than 200km outside the state capitals will drive growth in these regions.

“Zonal taxation has worked under previous governments in the 1960s and is constitutional under commonwealth law so why not offer the incentive to live and work in some of the best communities Australia has to offer,’’ he said.

“Regional Australia finally has a real chance for change and the United Australia Party will drive it.

“By providing tax breaks in areas that are disadvantaged geographically, zonal taxation would stimulate economic growth in regional communities providing jobs, allowing these regions to decentralise and properly develop.

“We need to invest in these regions to promote growth and strengthen our towns and communities,’’ Mr Sturgeon said.

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The United Australia Party executive has endorsed small business owner Sue Bertuch as its federal candidate for the North Queensland seat of Kennedy.

Sue has wide ranging professional experience having started her career as a primary and secondary school teacher in both city and rural communities.

She has also worked as an early childhood teacher, in special education, as a customs officer and business director.

Sue has been an active member of various community groups spanning P&C, scouting, theatre, speedway, the RSL and Associated Citizens Auxiliary.

Sue joined the United Australia Party due to disappointment with the way the major parties had lost touch with the community.

“I am sick of the way Liberal and Labor are putting the needs of big business, minority groups and also global interests ahead of most Australians,’’ she said.

“I am also very passionate about protecting the rights of Australians and fighting the corruption and rorting that has crept into politics.”

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Leader of the United Australia Party’s Senate Team for Western Australia, James McDonald, says the guns scandal embroiling Pauline Hanson’s One Nation was yet another shocking example of the risk of foreign interests infiltrating Australia politics.

“Like all Australians, I am appalled by the revelations that One Nation attempted to obtain $20 million in campaign funding from powerful US rifle group the NRA,’’ Mr McDonald said.

“The appalling implications of linking with a gun rights group aside, it is another reminder that political parties in Australia are more than happy to sell our nation’s best interests to the highest foreign bidders, jeopardising our security and our future,’’ he said.

The One Nation controversy comes in the wake of revelations by the United Australia Party that the Labor government was supporting the clandestine takeover of Australia by granting Chinese communist government owned companies extraordinary powers to build and operate strategic assets in WA.

“Allowing Chinese state-owned conglomerate CITIC Limited to build a jet airstrip in the Pilbara and exercise control over the deep water port at Cape Preston should be deeply concerning for all Australians,’’ Mr McDonald said.

“Now we have another Australian political party cosying up to the NRA in America. It is no wonder Australians have lost trust in their politicians.

“Australian voters need to know that the electoral system and Senate positions cannot be bought via interference of foreign interests.

“We can’t trust our politicians. Stand up – defend our country. Put Australia first,” Mr McDonald said.

“The best way to protect Australia’s future is to Vote 1, the United Australia Party.”

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United Australia Party candidate for Warringah, Suellen Wrightson has called for the immediate dismissal of Pauline Hanson’s Chief of Staff James Ashby over the guns scandal.

Ms Wrightson said she was appalled by the emergence of video footage of Ashby and One Nation’s Queensland leader Steve Dickson allegedly discussing how to solicit funds from a rifle association with the aim of gaining  the balance of power in Australia.

“Pauline Hanson must sack James Ashby immediately and send a clear message to Australian voters that our electoral system and Senate positions cannot be bought via interference of foreign interests,’’ Ms Wrightson said.

“If she is serious about being elected fairly and squarely on her policy rather than scrupulous deals she will sack the staff involved and have a clean slate going into the federal election.

“It is no wonder Australians have lost trust in their politicians when you have the right hand man to Pauline Hanson as alleged in this video calling the shots with a rifle association.”

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