CONTROVERSIAL mining magnate Clive Palmer has named a former Australian Labor Party member who helped incumbent Spence MP Nick Champion win office in 2007 as his candidate for the local seat.
Former Tanunda real estate agent and military chef Ron Fiedler will represent Mr Palmer’s United Australia Party (UAP) in the battle for the Spence electorate, with the party set to field a
candidate in every seat in Australia for the May 18 federal election.
Mr Fiedler’s political interest began as a member of young Labor, where he spent six years as a party member.
He was also part of Mr Champion’s campaign team during the 2007 federal election, which resulted in the Labor member being elected to parliament to represent the now renamed seat of Wakefield.
Despite his past political affiliations, Mr Fiedler said it’s time to shake things up – and that Labor and the Liberals aren’t the answer.
“In 2007 I helped him (Nick Champion) because we thought there might have been some change, but nothing’s changed,” he said.
“He’s in a safe seat and because he’s in a safe seat you see him out and about at events, but not helping people.
“The way we are going to unseat him is we’re telling people the truth that if you want a job, a better way of life, a wage increase – you need to change the government.
“The problem with people like Nick is he’s a great guy and he’s done plenty for the community, but he’s stale now, there’s no new ideas.”
Mr Fiedler confirmed he would be preferencing Liberal Party candidate Kathleen Bourne second on his ‘how to vote cards’, mirroring an agreement made between prime minister Scott Morrison
and Mr Palmer for the Liberal Party to preference the UAP in the senate.
He stressed he and the UAP were “nothing like” the Liberal Party, despite his party’s preference deal.
“We’re not selling out the country, we don’t believe foreign entities should be owning our ports, airports or infrastructure,” Mr Fiedler said.
“It should be owned by Australians, the Liberals don’t believe in that.
“We believe we should be processing refugees in Australia and having a system where they don’t have to wait five or six years for an outcome.
“At the moment refugees who want to come here are being sent to places like Manus Island… we want to do that quicker, it will be a more humane way.”
Mr Palmer confirmed this week he’d spent $50 million on UAP advertising during the election campaign, with Mr Fiedler adding the campaigning would only ramp up as election day draws closer.
“Clive said it this morning (Monday), he wants to form government,” Mr Fiedler said.
“It is possible, we are the onlyparty running a candidate in every lower house seat and we have every senate spot filled.”