QLD:Palmer ties troubled former LNP member

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2012
QLD:Palmer ties troubled former LNP member

By Darren Cartwright

BRISBANE, Feb 1 AAP - A former Liberal National Party member says he was never comfortable
with the close ties mining magnate Clive Palmer had to the party but was gagged from speaking
out about it.

Katter's Australian Party Queensland leader Aidan McLindon says LNP leader Campbell
Newman has some serious questions to answer about his relationship with LNP financier
Mr Palmer.

Mr McLindon said news this week that Mr Palmer's company was suing rail operator QR
National, and the questions Mr Palmer had raised about government transparency were not
healthy for Queensland.

Mr McLindon was a member of the LNP before breaking ranks in 2010.

He said he would have spoken out about Mr Palmer's relationship with the LNP earlier,
but under LNP protocols he couldn't.

"There are some very, very serious questions that need to be answered between Mr Palmer
and the LNP leader in what has transpired in the past 24 hours," Mr McLindon told reporters
on Wednesday.

He said he had to be careful about what he said because Mr Palmer's company was already
suing QR National for $8 billion.

"... and that's slightly more than I've got," he said, adding:

"What we have seen over time is that big business has been making its way into Queensland's
corridors of power over the last decade.

"Both of the major parties are guilty of that.

"I know I was not comfortable myself, whilst a member of the LNP, in terms of restrictions
of what I could and couldn't say.

"But I would say this to Mr Palmer, 'You can buy a soccer team on the Gold Coast but
you do not buy a soccer team in George St'."

Mr McLindon said no preference deals had been settled on with any other parties.

He said Katter's Australian Party would likely decide preferences on a seat-by-seat
basis and fired a shot across Mr Newman's bow.

The LNP leader has ruled out doing any preference deals or forming a coalition, urging
Queenslanders to just vote one for the LNP.

Mr McLindon alluded to giving preferences to sitting Labor member for Ashgrove Kate
Jones, the seat Mr Newman must win to become premier.

"We've knocked on the door three times to Mr Newman talk to about similarities and
apparently we don't have any in policy and he doesn't want our preferences," Mr McLindon
said.

"It's a final warning in the LNP's court."

Katter's Australian Party is expected to announce its Ashgrove candidate in the next few days.

"That will be decided or finalised by the end of this week or next week," Mr McLindon said.

AAP dac/mjf/tnf/mjs

KEYWORD: POLLQLD MCLINDON

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