Clive Palmer | |
|---|---|
 Palmer in 2015 | |
| Chairman of the United Australia Party | |
| In office 12 December 2018 – 8 September 2022 | |
| Leader | Craig Kelly (23 August 2021 – 8 September 2022) |
| Preceded by | Party re-registered |
| Succeeded by | Party deregistered |
| In office April 2013 – 5 May 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Succeeded by | Party deregistered |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Fairfax | |
| In office 7 September 2013 – 9 May 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Alex Somlyay |
| Succeeded by | Ted O'Brien |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Clive Frederick Palmer 26 March 1954 Footscray, Victoria, Australia |
| Political party | United Australia (since 2013) |
| Other political affiliations |
|
| Spouses | Susan Parker
(m. 1983; died 2006)Annastacia Topalov
(m. 2007) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | George Palmer Nancy McArthur |
| Residence(s) | Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia[1] |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | University of Queensland |
| Occupation | Mining company chairman
|
| Profession | Businessman Politician |
| Website | unitedaustraliaparty |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Conservatism in Australia |
|---|
 |
Clive Frederick Palmer (born 26 March 1954) is an Australian businessman[4] and former politician.[5] He has iron ore, nickel, and coal holdings. Palmer owns many businesses such as Mineralogy, Waratah Coal, Queensland Nickel at Townsville, the Palmer Coolum Resort on the Sunshine Coast, Palmer Sea Reef Golf Course at Port Douglas, Palmer Colonial Golf Course at Robina, and the Palmer Gold Coast Golf Course, also at Robina. He owned Gold Coast United FC from 2008 to 2012.[6] Palmer created the Palmer United Party in April 2013, winning the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax in the 2013 Australian federal election and sitting as an MP for one term.
In 2018, after formally deregistering the party on 5 May 2017, Palmer revived his party as the United Australia Party, announcing that he would be running candidates for all 151 seats in the House of Representatives and later that he would run as a Queensland candidate for the Senate.[7] In the 2019 federal election, despite extensive advertising, he and his party won no seats. His party later contested the 2022 federal election, and won one seat in the Senate. The party was formally deregistered again in September 2022.
Palmer has frequently been involved in legal cases relating to his businesses, and once listed litigation as one of his hobbies in Who's Who. He at times has been involved in complex cases, and journalist Hedley Thomas has written that Palmer's "lawyers take legal steps, presumably on his instructions, that prolong litigation and rack up costs for the other side" which can result in his opponents being unable to continue their case due to a lack of resources. Palmer has argued that the litigation he is involved in is justified as it rights wrongs.[8] Palmer also attempted to use litigation as a gag order against his workers in his now defunct Queensland Nickel refinery, promising to pay the money he owed them only if they agreed not to make any disparaging comments about him.[9]
As of May 2023[update], Palmer was the fifth richest Australian, when The Australian Financial Review assessed his net worth at A$23.66 billion on the 2023 Rich List.[10]
- ^ Stolz, Greg (9 November 2013). "Questions over where new Member for Fairfax Clive Palmer will live". News.com.au. News Ltd. Archived from the original on 30 January 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
- ^ "Australia's Resourcehouse signs $60 bln deal with China". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 February 2010. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
- ^ "Clive Palmer's $3bn Resourcehouse raising stalls". The Australian. 28 November 2009.
- ^ "Corporate Overview". Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ "Home - United Australia Party". Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
- ^ Craddock, Robert (14 June 2008). "Billionaire Clive Palmer behind Coast soccer team". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
- ^ Horn, Allyson (18 April 2019). "Clive Palmer announces he will run for the Senate, drafts ex- NRL star for seat of Herbert". ABC News. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ Thomas, Hedley (31 October 2013). "Sue chief Clive Palmer circles wagons". The Australian. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ Smee, Ben (15 May 2019). "Clive Palmer gag clause: QN workers told to make no 'disparaging comments' if they want entitlements". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Sprague, Julie-anne-2023was invoked but never defined (see the help page).