Clive Palmer and Pauline Hanson traded barbs after an attempt to unify their party fell apart, over disagreements about who should lead and bankroll their hoped-for singular right-wing populist movement.

Amid concern that a swathe of "Australia First"-type groups and individuals may cannibalise each other's supporters at the upcoming election, Mr Palmer on Wednesday announced he would campaign on a Donald Trump-style platform.

 

Clive Palmer, Pauline Hanson trade barbs over failed bid to unify parties

 

Mr Palmer's party will now operate under the banner of Trumpet of Patriots.

The billionaire announced the new branding, which was chosen after he failed in a legal bid to re-register United Australia Party, in the wake of talks with One Nation on creating a unified movement.

Those discussions are understood to have collapsed as Mr Palmer and One Nation accused the other of seeking to dominate the future party.

Senator Hanson insisted on becoming the new movement's "president for life", Mr Palmer said, which was something the resources investor and political campaign funder said would not be possible.

"I said 'well you can't be president for life. Not even I can be president for life,'" he said at a press conference in Canberra on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Senator Hanson told the ABC that an approach was made by Mr Palmer but that "One Nation isn't for sale".

Push to unify comes as populist figures enter their 70s

The stalled unification push comes as some of Australia's best known populist figures approach the later stages of already long political careers.

The three best known individuals — Mr Palmer, Senator Hanson and Queensland independent Bob Katter — are well known political names, familiar to voters after racking up more than a combined century in public life.

Both Mr Palmer and Senator Hanson are 70 years old, and Mr Katter is 79.

Their continued dominance of what remains a niche political landscape — all have built careers tapping disaffected Coalition and right-wing Labor voters — appears to have blunted the ability of younger figures to emerge from under their shadows.

Their failure to unite also raises fresh questions about the role of the far right at the upcoming election just as Donald Trump's return to the White House spurs renewed enthusiasm for hyper nationalistic nativist political figures.

"The entry of Clive Palmer's new party will further fragment the centre right minor party vote at the upcoming federal election," said Family First national director Lyle Shelton, who described the move as "regrettable".

Mr Palmer in 2022 spent more than $120 million on election campaign material, but secured only one Senate seat for his now deregistered United Australia Party.

 

Despite contesting almost every lower house seat at the last election, One Nation held only two Senate seats, including Senator Hanson's after nearly losing the spot to the Legalise Cannabis Australia party.

Despite those weak results, both Mr Palmer and Senator Hanson's preferences are seen as a key factor in close-run contests.

Senator Hanson claimed this week that she approached former National Party leader Barnaby Joyce to join One Nation. Mr Joyce rebuffed the offer.

With speculation growing that neither Labor nor the Coalition will win a majority at the upcoming election, Mr Katter may yet become one of several kingmakers in the next parliament.

Director of the Australian Studies Institute at the Australian National University Mark Kenny said many of today's leading populists are "in the last gasp of their careers".

While the recurrence of Trumpism in the US should be a key moment for Mr Palmer and Senator Hanson, they are struggling to rise above being bit players.

"No matter what happens, whether there's an atmospheric change of the kind we're seeing, or there isn't one, they don't get a bigger stake in the game because sentiment has gone rightward and populist unless they find a way to get themselves dealt into the game," Mr Kenny said.

"None of these people have particularly long futures ahead in politics and there may be an element of needing to make a big play now because it'll all be over soon."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-19/clive-palmer-pauline-hanson-fail-unify-parties/104957330

 

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