Clive Palmer claims credit for Scott Morrison’s election win saying he would NOT have won without his $60 million advertising splurge – but he failed to win ANY seats
- Scott Morrison will likely stay on as PM after Coalition secured majority
- Clive Palmer has claimed his $60 million publicity spree has helped win election
- The billionaire has so far failed to win a seat – with the vote count continuing
- Mr Palmer’s advertisements on TV and print have been inescapable
Clive Palmer has claimed credit Scott Morrison’s victory in Australia’s federal election – but his party failed to win a single seat.
Mr Palmer sunk $60 million into advertising for his United Australia Party and his fluoro yellow marketing material has been inescapable in the media since the beginning of the year.
But the eccentric billionaire has only won 3.5 per cent nationally, which political experts said was a very poor return on investment.
‘Clive … got a donut, a big fat zero, and that’s one of the best things to come out of this election tonight because you shouldn’t be able to buy your way to power,’ said Nine political editor Chris Uhlmann.
Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party failed to win a single seat despite spending $60 million
But Mr Palmer claimed credit for Scott Morrison’s election win, saying he could not have won without his party’s preferences
But despite his low numbers, Mr Palmer said Mr Morrison would not be the next PM without his party.
‘It’s clear Scott Morrison has been returned as Prime Minister and he’s only done so because of the 3.5 per cent of the vote of the United Australia Party,’ Mr Palmer said.
‘I think our ‘Shifty Shorten’ ads across Australia have been very successful in suppressing the Labor vote.’
Top Labor figures reportedly told the ABC they ‘got killed’ by the billionaire’s preferences in Queensland.
However, Mr Palmer’s UAP looks unlikely to win a Senate seat and only won 3.3 per cent in his home state of Queensland.
The United Australia Party leader continued his spending spree on election day by allegedly hiring 30 models from Platinum Model Management to man polling booths in Cairns.
One of the ‘volunteers’ at Freshwater State High School was Dylan Coates (pictured), who appeared in a Facebook post by Platinum Model Management on Monday
Coates was not able to answer any questions about Clive Palmer’s policies when asked by a journalist
Platinum Model Management made a post (pictured) on Wednesday calling for 30 promotional staff to work on Election Day in Cairns
Suspiciously attractive young people donned bright yellow United Australia Party T-shirts and handed out how-to-vote cards at school polling booths across Cairns.
One of the ‘volunteers’ at Freshwater State High School was Dylan Coates, who appeared in a Facebook post by Platinum Model Management on Monday.
He was not able to answer any questions about Clive Palmer’s policies when asked by a journalist.
Platinum Model Management made a post on Wednesday calling for 30 promotional staff to work on Election Day in Cairns.
Mr Coates is a blonde-haired bartender who is a 194cm-tall model and ‘starting out’ in the industry, according to a Star Now profile.