Palmer planning budget roadblock
Palmer planning budget roadblock
First on 7: Prime Minister Tony Abbott has had a major setback in his attempt to get all of his budget measures passed in the Senate.
Clive Palmer , whose party will soon hold the balance of power, has told 7News his Senators have voted not to deal with any member of the Government.
As always, Mr Palmer made quite an entrance, refusing a Commonwealth car to roll up to parliament in a Rolls Royce, insisting he was saving the taxpayer money.
7News can reveal he is now planning a road block for the budget.
If the budget is still caught up when his Senators assume the balance of power in July, not only will he refuse to negotiate, he will not even speak to the Government.
Mr Palmer said: “Well we passed a resolution at our last party meeting with our senators elect and myself that we would have no contact with any member of the parliamentary Liberal or National parties so we're not talking to anyone.”
He says he will not talk unless the government allows him the same staff as the Greens - 14 people to help his Senators go through legislation.
Mr Abbott told his partyroom he had done his own Budget survey: he dropped into a McDonalds last week and attracted a crowd of about 40 customers, who, he said, were all largely positive.
Perhaps a rare Budget happy meal.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann revealed this morning the government's planning an information campaign to sell the Budget, saying: “So we will do that in the usual way."
But as Labor pounced on a move to ‘promote broken promises and election lies’ Mr Abbott insisted: “There is no Government advertising campaign so please, stop having the vapours.”
No TV or radio campaigns, just direct mail to voters.
