Vote-swop deal with ruling party
AN AUSTRALIAN billionaire yesterday announced that his minor party had struck a vote-swop deal with the governing party that improved the government’s chances of being re-elected in a general election on May 18.
Mining magnate Clive Palmer announced the deal with Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s conservative Liberal Party as early voting began in the election, in which the ruling coalition is seeking a third three-year term.
Palmer said the centre-left opposition Labor Party also wanted to strike a deal with the party he created, the United Australia Party, but were refused because “their policies would destroy Australia”.
Labor denies seeking such a deal. Labor and some within the Liberal Party have cautioned against political deals with the maverick businessman and his party. Morrison defended the deal, telling reporters that Labor would be “far worse for the economy” than the United Australia Party.
Under Australia’s system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. Those ranked highest by a majority of voters have a better chance of being elected. The Liberal Party will ask its supporters to rank United Australia ahead of Labor candidates. United Australia will ask its supporters to rank Liberal candidates ahead of Labor.
United Australia’s supporters could give government candidates the edge against Labor candidates in close contests for 151 seats in the House of Representatives, where parties need a majority to form a government.
Palmer, who said he was worth A$4 billion (R43bn), has been spending tens of millions of dollars of his corporations’ money in advertising and plans to match the major parties’ spending by the end of the campaign.
Critics accuse him of failing to pay A$74 million in employee entitlements when one of his companies, Queensland Nickel, was shut down in 2016 in his home state of Queensland, where he hopes to become a senator.
Palmer denies liability. His liability is being contested in court. The government has paid A$70m towards what hundreds of former employees are owed. Labor has described Palmer as a “conman” with whom it would not deal. Former Western Australia state premier Colin Barnett has warned that a political deal with Palmer could harm the government’s relationship with Australia’s most important trading partner, China. As an MP in 2014, Palmer accused Beijing of trying to take over Australia. He later apologised.
In a televised debate yesterday, Morrison clashed with Labor leader Bill Shorten over tax, climate change and national security as the rivals squared off in a televised debate.
Morrison said a Labor government would risk setting back the economy. Shorten claimed that the economy was stoking inequality and said he planned to abolish tax concessions for some Australians to fund healthcare and education. 150 carpenters and 200 roofers.
About 10 000 students are trained every year by the association, to train people in these crafts.