Shortly after 5pm yesterday, Clive Palmer gave his maiden speech in the Australian lower house.
Here are the bits we think you should know about.
“Australians know who I am and where I come from. They know I love my family and I love Australia.
“In 1918 my father, at the age of nine, went to see a silent movie. By the time he was 14 he was producing and starring in his first movie. He went on to become the world’s youngest movie producer, as he was known in the United States … My mother was born in Penguin, Tasmania. She left in 1940 to work in ammunition production in Melbourne.
“Like half of all Australians, I lost my first partner Sue. Her love, our children Michael and Emily, sustain me every day. My wife Anna and my lovely five-year-old daughter Mary, or ‘middle five’, as she says, remind me every day what life is all about and the love we have for each other. I look forward to the coming weeks when I will again be a father.”
“I have a strong resolve not to let the people of Fairfax down. Fairfax has been taken for granted for many years. My election is a reminder to major parties that they must truly serve all Australians … How long can parliament remain indifferent to Australians’ needs? How long can government be deaf to the everyday struggles of Australians? They must be on top of the agenda.”
“To stimulate our economic activity we must ignite the creativity of all our citizens. Chairman Mao once said that ‘women hold up half the sky’. Women received the vote in 1902 but prejudice still remains. Leadership, not complacency, is our need today. In parliament, in cabinet, we need more women.”
“At the last election the Palmer United Party won 5.5% of the vote, becoming Australia’s fourth largest party … In WA our polling is showing we will win two senators if an election is held. In Fairfax, Palmer United received one of the largest swings in the nation’s history of 50.03%.”
“Instead of companies paying tax quarterly based on an estimate we need to let them pay it yearly on companies and businesses’ actual results. If we keep $70 billion in enterprises’ hands they can spend it better than the government. Australia will create real demand, massive job growth, reduce unemployment and turbo-charge our economy … At a current interest rate it will cost around $800 million a year but generate billions of dollars each year for the nation. We must stimulate domestic demand.”
“Australia needs a revolution in the way we think; in the way we boost our wealth and economy for all our citizens.
“We have to re-establish confidence. We need to believe we can lift our economy to a better future. We need to have a positive attitude. We may not win. We may not get there. But nothing is surer that we will fail if we don’t project positively.”
Myriam Robin is a reporter for SmartCompany and its sister site LeadingCompany. She has degrees in economics, international studies and journalism. She likes writing about businesses taking risks and doing new things.
