A benched Nationals frontbencher flew on an Australian billionaire’s private jet to have initial conversations about a potential political quid pro quo during the coalition’s split.
Ross Cadell, one of three Nationals senators sacked from Sussan Ley’s shadow cabinet after they voted against hate speech laws, travelled on Clive Palmer’s jet on February 7 to discuss electoral matters and policies.
The trip from Newcastle to Brisbane return was disclosed on his register of interests.
“It was a great meeting with many areas of agreement and a few where we had differences, but anytime people are talking about how to make the lives of Australians better, it is a good thing,” Senator Cadell wrote on his disclosure.
“All at no cost to the taxpayer.”
The trip’s timing came just after Mr Palmer held a press conference in Canberra, where he hinted at shifting support to the Nationals.
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His company Mineralogy spent almost $200 million on political expenditure in 2024/25, including more than $50 million during the May campaign to prop up his United Australia Party.
He failed to win a single seat.
Mr Palmer said he had spoken to some Nationals about the political situation, but hadn’t met with leader David Littleproud when he addressed the media during the split in early February.
Senator Cadell confirmed discussions about support had taken place, but were in the early stages and no financial offers had been made.
“There was no offer by Clive, it was a talk about what policies were important to him, what was going on, his history of backing parties,” he said.
“Nothing was off the table. It was an initial discussion, it was looking at what was important to each other.”
But talks of support were now moot given the coalition had reunited, he said, adding he hadn’t spoken to Mr Palmer since the trip.
“Reforming the coalition has ended any talk of Clive coming in,” he said.
This included the consequences of an expanded parliament, which Labor is looking into, and what this would mean for a Nationals campaign if the party had to go it alone.
But any alliance between the Nationals and Mr Palmer was unlikely to be effective this time around, as most of the voters they would be targeting are already squarely in One Nation’s camp, pollster Kos Samaras said.
While previously there was little conservative alternatives for people in the regions who wanted to shift away from major parties, the minor party had now filled this gap, he said.
“These voters historically are inclined to support populist, conservative alternatives.
“One Nation has already hoovered all of that.”
