Billionaire miner Clive Palmer says he has been overwhelmed with interest from political candidates as he announced two businessmen would stand in Canberra for his new political party.
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Wayne Slattery, CEO of the Good Samaritans, will stand in the ACT Senate race at the federal election, and commercial property agent Tony Hanley will contest the seat of Canberra, on the territory’s southside.
Both said they had not been involved in politics before but were attracted by Mr Palmer’s approach.
Mr Slattery, a former farmer and small business operator, said Mr Palmer’s policies “talk common sense”.
“They’re all about fair go and reuniting Australia and that is very close to my heart,” he said.
The main policy of the Palmer United Party that attracted him was “making Australia the lucky country again”.
Mr Hanley said Australians had been sold out by both major parties.
‘‘They’re impotent to do anything locally,’’ he said.
‘‘We’re tired of the reckless badgering by the Opposition and Tony Abbott and threatening us with these big cut backs.
‘‘What I liked about Clive was that he has gone into bat for the public servants who are being threatened with cutbacks by the Newman government
‘‘He’s a big man with a big heart and a big check book and, like myself, he shoots from the hip and tells it as it is.’’
In Canberra, Mr Palmer repeated his message that voters were fed up with the duopoly of the major parties.
‘‘The people of the ACT are sick of Tony Abbott and they are not impressed with Labor’s leadership antics and the resurrection of Kevin Rudd,’’ he said.
‘‘The major party duopoly in this country is out dated and out of touch with the ACT residents who want another option, they want to join the new alternative, the Palmer United Party.’’
Mr Palmer said his party had endorsed 140 candidates for the House of Representative and would soon announce others – including for the seat of Fraser – to fulfil his promise of standing candidates in every lower house seat and for the Senate in every state and territory.
Cooma-Monaro Mayor Dean Lynch was named as the Eden-Monaro candidate for the party last month, and former Canberra Raider Glenn Lazarus is running as one of the party's Queensland Senate candidates.
‘‘Later this week we will be travelling to Western Australia, Victoria and Adelaide to endorse more quality candidates and fill many of the remaining seats,’’ he said.
The announcement coincides with the Palmer United Party's registration approval by the Australian Electoral Commission.
The Commission updated its approval on Monday following an objection relating to the party's name.
