Yeah, Lexi....I had a quick peruse of your last link, and it summed up the feeling I get about Palmer's interest.

I felt it also had a "Joh for PM" flavour, wherein the main thrust is that the guy with the bags of money or support wants to be Prime Minister.

Being rich and desiring to have the glory of the top job doesn't translate into a person that is committed to doing the best for his electorate or his country.

What it does translate into is an attention-seeking and egotistical push to throw your money about to attain the spot of top political dog.

Bob Katter is, in my opinion, more honest than most people in politics. In Rosalind Kidd's "The Way we Civilise" which is critical of the way Aborigines have been treated in Queensland Katter stands out as one of the few people in the Bjelke-Petersen government who stood up for fair treatment of Aborigines in giving them award wages and the right to make decisions in their own behalf which others would deny them. There seemed to be no political payoff for him in those positions but only a desire for equity. Katter is concerned about the effect of fracking on the environment especially its degradation of farmland. I was at a joint meeting of the Greens and Katter supporters which was concerned about that issue. I do not like Katter's prejudice against homosexuals, but I feel he is a better person than the current leaders of our two major parties.

Dear Poirot,

I'm glad that you read the link I provided.

I thought it was pretty spot on.

It will be interesting to see how far Palmer gets
or if like his American counterparts (rich men
who tried running for President) he'll also
change his mind and move onto other things.

Dear David F.,

Bob Katter is an interesting man. He's of Lebanese and
Irish descent and is said to be a distant relative of the
world renowned poet, Khalil Gibran. I admire much of what
he's done thus far and it is surprising that he's so
anti-homosexuals when his half brother, Carl is openly
gay. Perhaps its Katter's religious beliefs? Katter is a
Maronite Catholic.

You must be a city boy david f, or you would understand the whole award wages thing is largely responsible for todays bl00dy mess.

In the past a station supported a whole tribe, supplied them with all the beef they could eat, support with housing materials, along with traditional style hunting & gathering access to the whole property.

In return a couple of the men would have almost propper jobs, a few more would work 40% of a real job, when work was required, & more would work at roundup time, or in floods etc. It was a kind of halfway house that suited all most everyone. The stock men in particular were very proud of their much valued ability.

Award wages destroyed all this. Only a very few were required full time, & those did not like having to live away from the tribe, who were now no longer supported & had moved to missions.

This is one of Katter's main problems, he only sees the obvious, with out much insight, or often understanding. Yes a really genuine bloke, but a bit hair brained, & at times goes off half cocked.

Palmer is a bit of a grass hopper today. No longer totally involved in building his business interests, he lands on something, worries it like a dog with a bone, then hoops off to something new when it catches his eye.

I would not like to see either as PM, but at least Katter would nail his colours to the mast, & fight to the death for what he saw as right. That would be a major change from the present mob, & probably somewhat better long term.

He is something like old Joh, without the cunning or savvy.

Belly, "if Palmer gets his party up, will take National and Liberal votes first. And votes from each other"

You wish.

However the reverse is more likely, that there will be even more preferences directed away from Labor and Greens.

Dear Hasbeen,

The following link may be of interest:

http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/01/31/gas-powered-politics-greens-katter-make-case-on-csg/

BTW - Julie Bishop urged conservatives not to jeopardize
the Coalition's chances by splintering the vote.
It seems that they are concerned about Palmer and Katter.

"It's got to be a vote for the Liberal Party and the
National Party," Ms Bishop said.

Whereas the Labot Party welcomed the announcement of
Clive Palmer's run for office.

Anthony Albanese told the newspaper, The Australian:

"I think pretty clearly anyone who votes for a Clive Palmer
led party wasn't a former Labor supporter, they'll be a former
LNP supporter. ..that's his niche market.
If the far-right want to fight with the not-so-far-right
in Queensland, then Good Luck to them."

Interesting times ahead that's for sure.