Six years of this madness
WA's newest and most mysterious senator Dio Wang surfaced in Queensland yesterday but still refused to talk about his controversial win and his role as the man who clinched Palmer United Party's newfound balance of power.
Mr Wang, who had not been seen publicly since polling day, was silent and sidelined by his party leader at a bizarre press conference called to celebrate his win.
At first he went unnoticed at the back of the room until Clive Palmer was questioned about his candidate's post-election disappearance.
"Where is he? There he is . . . he's just behind you by the door," the PUP leader gestured theatrically.
He said Mr Wang was not part of the news conference about the WA result because "this is my press conference".
"Dio wants to do his first press conference in Western Australia," Mr Palmer said.
Mr Wang looked uncomfortable and left midway through the event.
He agreed to return for a photograph with Mr Palmer for _The West Australian _ but did not want to speak.
When asked if he would hold a news conference on his return to WA, as Mr Palmer had claimed, Mr Wang said: "Maybe."
A smiling Mr Palmer said Mr Wang did not need to speak to the media because "it's six years until the next election".
Mr Wang came under fire during the WA Senate election re-run for his reluctance to appear before the media.
He was virtually invisible during the campaign and the Chinese-born mining executive continued to avoid the limelight after his win on Saturday.
Mr Palmer said Mr Wang had flown straight to Brisbane "to see me".
The 33-year-old is managing director of Australasian Resources, 70 per cent owned by Mr Palmer's Mineralogy.
"We're friends," Mr Palmer said. "We're going fishing later on today.
"Poor old Dio. He's been out to Kalgoorlie, up to Broome, down to the Pilbara. He just wants to have a break now. After all, he's not a senator yet. He wants to enjoy his last moments of freedom.
"I'm the only professional politician in our party."
Mr Wang will take up his Senate position on July 1.
Mr Palmer would not say how much money he had spent on last year's poll and the Senate re-run, saying his wife took care of his finances.
He said his party had probably spent about $20 million, made up of donations and some of his own money.
"My wife knows that - she puts all the money in," Mr Palmer said.
"I don't get too much. I only get $200 a week for my expenses. That's all I get from her."
He said his voting bloc of Mr Wang, fellow PUP senators-elect Jacqui Lambi and Glenn Lazarus and Motoring Enthusiast Party's Ricky Muir would not offer blanket support to any party.
He would also not hold any grudges over the way he had been treated when he was first elected to the House of Representatives.
"No one wanted to talk to me very much or smile," Mr Palmer said.
"But this year I find people are a lot warmer and friendlier. I get a lot more nights out for dinner, more hot chocolates late at night. It's a much more warmer place.
"We become a lot more interesting to people once we've got the balance of power."
