Palmer vote lagging in Queensland seat

Sending unsolicited texts to more than five million Australians doesn't seem to have given mining magnate Clive Palmer an edge over his political rivals in the Queensland seat he wants to win at the next federal election.

Mr Palmer is expected to run in the marginal Townsville electorate of Herbert, currently held by Labor's Cathy O'Toole, but a Newspoll conducted by The Australian has found his primary vote there is just eight per cent.

That compares to nine per cent for both Pauline Hanson's One Nation and Katter's Australian Party and seven per cent for the Greens.

Labor and the Liberal National Party both have primary votes of 32 per cent, the Newspoll published on Monday found.

Mr Palmer previously held the federal seat of Fairfax between 2013 and 2016, under the banner of the Palmer United Party.

He announced plans to return to politics last year, registering a new United Australia Party.

The businessman has already sent unsolicited text messages to some 5.6 million voters, more than 3000 of whom have made complaints.