Clive Palmer's plans for the Hunter

He's a billionaire mining magnate, a former lifetime member of the Liberal/National Party and he's supremely confident he'll be our next Prime Minister.  Clive Palmer wants you to vote for his candidates in the Hunter, we just don't know who they are yet. 

Last Friday Clive Palmer announced he's creating a new political party, the United Australia Party, and has vowed to stand candidates in every Lower House seat, including the local electorates of Hunter, Newcastle, Paterson, Charlton and Shortland. 

But where will the candidates come from and what will you be electing if you vote for them? 

Aaron Kearney from 1233 ABC Newcastle put these questions and more to Clive Palmer. ( listen to attached audio)

"We'll be standing candidates right across the nation, 150 House of Representatives seats," Mr Palmer says. 

"We'll certainly have candidates in the Hunter."  And he says there's already a party membership here, too. 

He says even though the new party has only just been announced, it's been in the works for quite a while. 

"We've been diligently working now for over 12 months with organisation, planning, logistics, right across the nation," he says. 

Mr Palmer revealed plans to announce seven House of Reps candidates over the next week. 

The party's creator is certainly not lacking in self-belief. 

"I'm confident that I'll be in the Lodge after the next election," is his bold prediction. 

And he claims there's good cause for his optimism, with early polls showing 30-40% voter support for his new party. 

As for its vision, "We want to unite people from different philosophies to do what's right for the country and right for the community," he says. 

"Let's face it, Gillard and Abbott are virtually the same thing, they're run by lobbyists." 

Mr Palmer says an absence of lobbyists in official positions is one of five key differences between his party and the Liberals, what he calls "five points of action". 

The second point will be to abolish the carbon tax retrospectively. 

"So people in NSW and in the Hunter would get a refund of the excessive electricity prices they're paying at the moment," he says. 

Thirdly, the mineral wealth of Queensland and WA would be used for incentives to set up manufacturing industries in places like the Hunter. 

Fourth, Mr Palmer promises a change in the way refugees are handled, with applicants entering the country without visas on $2000 flights and being processed at the airport.  Unsuccesful applicants would be immediately placed on return flights. 

Lastly, he says more money would be spent in regions such as the Hunter which generate wealth for the nation. 

"At least 25% of that wealth should be spent back in the Hunter," Mr Palmer says.