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The United Australia Party has announced a strong team to put Tasmania back on the map at the 2019 Federal Election.

Federal Leader of the United Australia Party, Clive Palmer, said that for too long Tasmania had been left off the map and isolated from opportunities the nation had generated.

“The established parties talk about helping Tasmanians but are more concerned about protecting their own self-interests and stifling political alternatives,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Tasmania has an opportunity to be a significant contributor to the Australian economy with the right people in place to get the state moving again.

“Only the United Australia Party can reinvigorate Tasmania with fresh ideas and common-sense policies to turbo-charge the economy,’’ he said.

The United Australia Party is fielding outstanding candidates for the House of Representatives including café owner and Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame inductee Darren Winter (Franklin), champion Tasmanian racing driver Allan Roark (Bass), finance broker Mick Warne (Lyons) and hospitality business owner Karen Spaulding (Braddon).

Married with four children and one grandchild, Mr Winter is a long-time Hobart resident and owner of the Lauderdale café and bakehouse which he has operated for 16 years.

An excellent footballer, he played with the Geelong and Essendon reserves before moving to Tasmania in 1989, where he amassed 240 games and was part of nine premierships with the Clarence District Football Club, three as a playing coach.

Mr Winter currently coaches the Lauderdale senior team which competes in the Tasmanian State League. He is in his 10^th year as senior coach.

“Australian politics is in a mess. I want to be part of the solution cleaning the mess up and gaining much needed respect. Our politicians are embarrassing not only in Australia but also overseas, this needs to be fixed urgently,’’ he said.

A former motor racing driver with numerous wins and several state championships, Allan Roark now works as a corporate driver trainer and high performance race driving coach as well as running his own marketing company.

He has extensive experience in small business, originally with his involvement in the metal fabrication and building supply sectors and then the hospitality industry as licensee of a large hotel and function centre.

He is also passionate about the rural and agricultural community and has been patron of Agfest for the last two years.

“I will represent Bass with a fierce determination to turbo charge the economy and ensure no one is left behind economically,” Mr Roark said.

As a self-employed entrepreneur for 19 years backed by 28 years as an employee including with Australia’s largest telecommunications company, Mick Warne brings an outstanding work ethic and strong people skills to the United Australia Party which he first joined in 2014 when under the PUP banner.

He has worked across Australia including as an Area Manager in the Kimberley and Northern Territory but has always called Tasmania home. With wife Raelene holding the home front in Brighton, Mick is traveling the state serving and advising across a number of different and diverse industries with senior management.

“I’m old enough to remember when we could trust our elected leaders to govern for the people not necessary for their own vested interests,” Mr Warne said.

“I have two grandchildren with a third due in September and I wish for them the country I started my adult life in, not what can be expected from our current situation with a two-party system,’’ he said.

With a Diploma of Agriculture from Tasmanian Polytechnic, Karen Spaulding grew up near Latrobe, Tasmania, on the family farm.

For 10 years she owned and operated an agribusiness supplying vegetables to the major supermarkets in Tasmania, Victoria and Sydney.

She currently runs accommodation for young people and backpackers and is passionate about giving back to the community through girl guides, scouting and Lifeline.

“I am proud to belong to a political party leading Australia with clear purpose, strength and confidence,’’ she said.

Experienced government advisor and business advocate Kevin Morgan had been pre-selected to lead the party’s Senate team in Tasmania.

Mr Morgan contested the north-west Tasmanian seat of Braddon for the former Palmer United Party at the 2013 federal election, polling 9.29%

Born and bred in Tasmania, Mr Morgan learned the importance of dedication, team work and leadership as a player, coach and administrator in multiple sports.

He studied electrical engineering and began work with the Hydro Electric Commission in 1977.

Mr Morgan started and operated his own electronic monetary processing system from 1993 to 2009 before working as Adviser with the Department of Premier and Cabinet supporting Business and the vegetable processor McCain’s Community Taskforce from 2010 to 2013.

He has since worked as a marketing specialist for small business and has extensive campaign experience with the former Palmer United Party where he was state leader in Federal and State elections and the party’s Tasmanian Senate Leader.

Number two on the United Australia Party’s Senate ticket is respected educator David Williams.

Currently a registered teacher in a relief teacher capacity at high schools in southern Tasmania, Mr Williams has worked on contract and as a relief teacher for the Tasmania Department of Education for the past four years.

He has taught at college, secondary, primary and special education schools in northern and southern Tasmania, as well as at TasTAFE, where he teaches music industry and music business units to Cert III, Cert IV and Diploma students within the music and sound production team at TasTAFE, Alanvale.

“I believe in the capacity of creativity and innovative thinking to solve problems, develop opportunities and improve people’s lives, especially in relation to education, business development and employment,’’ Mr Williams said.

ENDS

The Federal Leader of the United Australia Party, Clive Palmer, announced today that the party executive had endorsed nine quality candidates to contest WA lower house seats in the 2019 Federal Election.

Mr Palmer said the party was interviewing further candidates for the remaining WA seats, to be announced in the coming weeks.

The endorsed United Australia Party candidates for Western Australia are: Peter Westcott (Cowan); Brenden Hatton (Durack); Dale Bromley (Forrest); Rod Chilcott (Moore); Anthony Fels (O’Connor); Robert Forster (Pearce); Charles Hopkins (Perth); Dorothy Hutton (Stirling); Peter McLernon (Swan).

“We are hearing very clearly that people are sick of the same-old, same-old from Liberal and Labor,” 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.

“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.

“Hardworking Australians are looking for an effective alternative and that alternative is the United Australia Party. We will provide the strong leadership, the vision, the policies and the plan to make Australia great,’’ Mr Palmer said.

ENDS

The United Australia Party has endorsed Mubahil Ahmed as its candidate for the Victorian lower house seat of Bruce, Federal Leader Clive Palmer announced today.

Born in Pakistan, Mr Ahmed adopted Australia as his home at age 22. He is passionate about better rail transport and improved cost of living for everyday Australians.

Operating his own business, Mr Ahmed experiences firsthand the high cost of electricity, transport and housing in Australia. He is dedicated to improving community conditions for healthcare, youth education, youth employment and drug awareness.

“Now is the time for United Australia Party to have its say,” Mr Ahmed said.

“With the amount of tax we pay to the government, we should be getting better roads and train networks, a better health care and education systems to match other countries.

“Vote for the United Australia party for a better Australia,’’ he said.

ENDS

The Federal Leader of the United Australia Party, Clive Palmer, announced today that the party executive had endorsed 27 candidates to contest Victorian lower house seats in the 2019 Federal Election.

Mr Palmer said the party was interviewing further candidates for the remaining Victorian seats, to be announced in the coming weeks.

The endorsed United Australia Party candidates for Victoria  are: Matthew Sirianni-Duffy (Aston); Adam Veitch (Bendigo); Mubahil Ahmed (Bruce); James Unkles (Casey); Neil Harvey (Corangamite); Milton Wilde (Deakin); Ronald Jean (Dunkley); Donald Mackenzie (Fraser); Lisa Bentley (Gellibrand); Wayne Connolly (Goldstein); Timothy Ryan (Higgins); Jatinder “Bobby” Singh (Holt); Jin Luan (Hotham); Shane Wheatland (Indi); Barry Prior (Isaacs); Maria Rigoni (Jagajaga); Steven D’elia (Kooyong); Paul Smith (Lalor); Dean Dunan (La Trobe); Helen Paton (Macnamara); Ricki Millar (Mallee); Sawar Hasan (Maribyrnong); Chris Hayman (McEwen); Tony Pecora (Melbourne); Brett Fuller (Menzies); Matthew Sherry (Monash) and Joshua Wallace (Wannon).

“We are hearing very clearly that people are sick of the same-old, same-old from Liberal and Labor,” 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.

“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.

“Hardworking Australians are looking for an effective alternative and that alternative is the United Australia Party. We will provide the strong leadership, the vision, the policies and the plan to make Australia great,’’ Mr Palmer said.

ENDS

History was made at Brisbane’s exclusive Tattersall’s Club yesterday when guests of Clive Palmer were the first women to dine at the heritage-listed venue.

After being initially challenged by management, Mr Palmer, his daughter Emily Palmer and cousin Gabrielle Reilly, took their seats in the dining room and ordered French Champagne to celebrate.

“It was a nice vintage,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“It’s illegal not to allow women into a club, it’s against the human rights act to not allow women to dine in at a club,’’ Mr Palmer said.

Mr Palmer said he overheard some members speaking in an un-gentlemanly manner on encountering ladies in the dining room.

“An injustice to one women is an injustice to all women,’’ Mr Palmer said.

ENDS

Tattersall-Club_Palmer-Family

Licensed business broker Dani Rifai has been endorsed as the United Australia Party’s candidate for Shortland, NSW, for the 2019 Federal Election.

Dani has entered politics due to his frustration with the current two party duopoly which he says is failing everyday Australians.

“We have record high youth unemployment, more than 120,000 homeless Australians and a reduction in full-time work. It’s time for a change,’’ he said.

“The United Australia Party has supported the banking royal commission and many other policies that are in the best interest of Australians.”

Dani and his family reside in Hamlyn Terrace on the northern end of the Central Coast of NSW.

He started his working life building house frames and as a service station attendant before undertaking various university studies to work in sectors including tax accounting and human resource management.

He presently works as a business broker assisting small to medium size businesses in exit planning and selling their businesses.

Dani is a regular blood donor at the Red Cross and volunteers to coach and assist children in basketball and tutoring in mathematics.

He has completed the Gong Ride three times raising money for Multiple Scleroses which impacted his family with the loss of his sister in-law who suffered from the disease for 16 years until her passing.

ENDS

The United Australia Party has endorsed Peter Westcott as its candidate for the lower house West Australian seat of Cowan, Federal Leader Clive Palmer announced today.

Born and raised in Sydney, Mr Westcott has been a Perth resident for the past 25 years. He has been married to wife Marissa for 39 years and they have two children, Troy and Helen.

Mr Westcott was a plumber for 15 years and is now focussed on giving back to the community to improve the quality of life for future generations of Australians.

He volunteers at the Native Wildlife Rescue in Malaga and at Foodbank WA, opening the first suburban emergency food relief branch in Joondalup. There, he was involved with training volunteers, maintaining high quality food supplies and liaising with local charities to deliver food relief to the neediest families.

The Cowan electorate has been a swing seat in the northern suburbs of Perth, traditionally changing hands between Labor and Liberal parties, something Mr Westcott plans to change.

“I proudly support the United Australia Party to give our society hope and clear vision for a better future. I am so disillusioned with Labor and the Greens after being a long time voter that I decided it was time to change,’’ he said.

ENDS

The Federal Leader of the United Australia Party, Clive Palmer, announced today that the party executive had endorsed 42 candidates to contest NSW lower house seats in the 2019 Federal Election.

Mr Palmer said the party was interviewing further candidates for the few remaining NSW seats, to be announced in the coming weeks.

The endorsed United Australia Party divisions and candidates for NSW are: Barton – Ben Liu; Bennelong – Andrew Marks;  Berowra  – Ignatios Tsiriplis; Blaxland – Mohammed  Ashraf; Bradfield- Marcus Versace; Chifley – Joseph O’Conner; Cook – Bryan Wiseman; Cowper – Alexander Stewart; Cunningham – John McSweyn; Dobell – Aaron Harpley-Carr; Eden-Monaro- Chandra Singh ; Farrer- Mike Rose; Fowler – Joshua Jabbour; Gilmore – Milton Leslight; Grayndler –Paris King-Orsborn; Greenway – Fardin Nikjoo; Hughes -Terrance Keep; Hunter – Paul Davis; Kingsford-Smith – Adam Watson;  Lindsay – Christopher Buttel; Lyne – Garry Bourke; Macarthur -Nathan              Murphy; Mackellar – David Lyon; Macquarie – Tony Pettitt; McMahon – Giovanni Zappia; Mitchell – Mohanadas Balasingham; New England – Cindy Duncun; Newcastle – Geoff Scully; North Sydney – Peter Vagg; Page – John Mudge; Parkes – Petrus Van Der Steen; Parramatta – Ganesh Loke; Paterson – Graham Burston; Reid- Mohammed Yasin; Richmond – Hamish Mitchell; Riverina – Richard Foley; Robertson – Robert Marks; Shortland – Dani Rifai; Sydney – Adam Holt; Watson- Jason Cornelius; Wentworth – Michael Bloomfield and Werriwa – Ho Khoo.

“We are hearing very clearly that people are sick of the same-old, same-old from Liberal and Labor,” 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.

“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.

“Hardworking Australians are looking for an effective alternative and that alternative is the United Australia Party. We will provide the strong leadership, the vision, the policies and the plan to make Australia great,’’ Mr Palmer said.

ENDS

Federal Leader of the United Australia Party, Clive Palmer, has announced the appointment of tourism executive and highly-experienced management professional with the federal government, Phil na Champassak as the party’s Tasmanian campaign director.

Currently owner of a boutique hotel and a property developer in Penguin, Phil has been actively engaged in community work in northwest Tasmania. He once held directorship to the board of the Cradle Coast Tourism Executive and is a founding director of Switch Tasmania, formerly known as the Cradle Coast Innovation Inc.

Formerly a diplomat and DFAT policy analyst, Phil has worked on trade, aid, public diplomacy, consular, international security and bilateral relations with PNG, the US, and NZ, and was most recently DFAT State Director for Tasmania.

He has previously worked for the UN Development Programme in New York, West Africa and PNG.

Phil also served as election monitor to the first elections in Cambodia (1992) and South Africa (1994) and was a peace monitor in Bougainville (2002). He has contributed to publications on human rights, election monitoring and UN issues.

He was awarded the Australian Service Medal (Bougainville) in June 2003.

Phil is very much looking forward to his role as the UAP’s campaign manager for Tasmania, saying more and more Australians were turning to independents and the smaller parties as a way of showing their dissatisfaction with the two-party duopoly.

He says unlike the Liberals or Labor, the UAP is not made up of professional politicians for life, but rather ordinary Australians wishing to do their civic duty and contribute to the welfare of the nation.

“The United Australia Party can provide a platform that the Liberals and ALP cannot. The way forward is to unite all Australians, not continue to divide them,’’ he said.

ENDS

The United Australia Party has endorsed former WA parliamentarian Honourable Anthony Fels as its candidate for the lower house seat of O’Connor, Federal Leader Clive Palmer announced today.

Returning with renewed vigour after a 10 year break from politics, Mr Fels was Liberal Shadow Minister for Fair Trading and the Midwest, later becoming an Independent Upper House MP.

Born and raised in Esperance, he also worked as a manager with the Primary Industry Bank of Australia looking after the O’Connor region and Esperance. Mr Fels has been a long-time advocate for honest and open government with a proven track record in representing regional businesses and the people of O’Connor.

He has experienced first-hand the ups and downs of agriculture, particularly wool cycles, wheat quotas, new land development in the 1960s and 1970s plus financial crunches with banks squeezing already struggling small businesses.

Mr Fels raised a young family as a single parent and is a keen supporter of small business, farming, free enterprise, and the freedom to choose. He is particularly proud of Halo – Helping All Little Ones – an organization he helped to establish to raise awareness of the many issues to which children are vulnerable.

“I proudly support the United Australia Party as the foundation of the Menzies Liberal Party before the recent fiascos and demise of the Liberals since John Howard.

“I will strive for Western Australia to get a permanent and fair share of the GST and stop the Canberra rip-off,’’ he said.

ENDS