SOME people have been scratching their heads over Clive Palmer and his huge spend on the federal election, with many wondering why anyone would do such a thing.
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Palmer learnt his political smarts from one of the great masters - Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
Joh attacked anything and everything - especially to do with Canberra. They may have been simplistic messages but they appealed to the masses and often had a major impact on that most important quality in politics - perspectives.
Palmer was a Bjelke-Petersen acolyte and National Party member in the days when Joh was taking on Labor's Gough Whitlam government in Canberra.
Bjelke-Petersen and his party accrued tremendous developer, mining and agricultural support. Even some long-time urbane Liberal Party supporters switched to the Nationals to align themselves with what they saw as an unassailable political machine.
Joh used this economic and political strength to boost his and the Nationals' popularity through big spends on television programs and extensive advertising.
All governments have learnt from him as they run quasi education programs, some of which seem more aimed at getting councillors and MPs reelected.
In fact, in Joh's memoirs he explained the theory of spending on advertising to achieve political aims. He had had trouble with Judith Wright, the much-lauded poet and conservationist who had been campaigning to save the Great Barrier Reef. Joh wrote that the media gave her too good a run but said he did not care.
"If you don't give me a fair go, I'll spend a million dollars on advertising or however much it costs, to get a true message across. You can't stop me. Nothing will stop me," he said.
Palmer's election advertising spend leaves no doubt as to his good understanding of Joh's political and campaigning philosophy.
