Four Corners: Nov 25

On the final Four Corners for the year, Marian Wilkinson looks at the rise of Clive Palmer in politics and business and how the two are connected.

He’s a new breed of politician, never before seen in Australia – a man who uses his personal wealth to win political power.

Clive Palmer says he’s bankrolled the Palmer United Party to give voice to millions of Australians who can’t afford a lobbyist, but can we take him at his word?

This week, reporter Marian Wilkinson examines the rise and rise of Clive Palmer in politics and business, and investigates how the two are connected. She spends time with the newly elected Member for Fairfax in Queensland. She speaks to key political players, including former members of the Queensland Liberal National Party, a party Palmer once so readily supported but now wants to replace.

What she discovers is a complex web of financial and political connections that potentially make him one of the richest and most powerful men in Australia.

At the same time she uncovers crucial information that suggests Palmer’s rise could be followed by an equally rapid fall if things don’t go the way he plans.

Right now, there is every indication that although Clive Palmer declares himself a billionaire, his financial future success is fraught and his track record of partnerships suggests he has trouble making and holding alliances. That leaves some to ask if he should be considered as more like a cult leader than the head of a grassroots political movement.

Wilkinson: “Who was your brains trust (in the election)?”
Palmer: “Just me … that’s it.”

Monday 25th November at 8.30pm on ABC1.