Palmer apologises to the Chinese and recommits to ending GP co-payment

Federal MP Clive Palmer started the morning by apologising to the Chinese government over his comments last week, and ended it by restating his intention to block the government’s controversial GP co-payment.

Mr Palmer raised the white flag with a groveling apology, writing to the Chinese ambassador that he regrets "any hurt or anguish” and realised what he was said "was an insult to Chinese people everywhere."

The ambassador wouldn't comment and, without saying he accepted the apology, released a statement saying that Chinese people are never to be insulted.

There was no Palmer surrender on the $7 GP co-payment.

“We wouldn’t support a co-payment even of one cent,” Mr Palmer said.

“The co-payment won’t be happening.”

The government insists that, at this stage, it's no big deal.

It dominated Labor's Question Time attack and raised tempers at a meeting of Liberal MPs.

Outspoken Senator Ian Macdonald complained about the electoral damage and criticised the meeting being late while waiting for the Prime Minister.

Mr Abbott had been at a Melbourne Cancer Clinic, the kind the co-payment is planned to partly fund.