Palmer's second tilt at politics unclear

Clive Palmer will know in a week if his political party backs his second tilt at federal parliament and whether he will contest a far north Queensland seat Labor is clinging to with just 37 votes.

Mr Palmer, who is running a candidate in all 151 lower house seats under his United Australia Party, wants to take the Herbert electorate from Labor incumbent Cathy O'Toole.

But his party is yet to make a call on preselection for that seat, with a decision expected in coming days, a party spokesman said.

If he gets the go ahead to run in the Townsville seat, he will come face to face with a community that has not yet forgotten how his nickel refinery fell apart and left 800 workers without a job.

The billionaire maintains he did not sack them and that his attempts to help by paying creditors bills were knocked back.

He has so far spent about $50 million on an advertising blitz that began months ago and spanning across billboards, social and traditional media platforms.

His campaign declined to say where it's money was being spent, but says it has made a difference.

"There's 150 members joining every week, there's now 12,000 members, so we'll be the only political party growing in numbers," a spokesman said.

"We're getting interest from left, right and One Nation and Katter people, so we're getting members from everywhere."

The party intends to run a full ticket in all states and territories for the Senate, but has not yet said who will get its preferences.

"We'll win seats," the spokesman said.

"We'd like to be the government, we're certainly not a minor party."

Some voters who turned to minor parties after becoming fed up with Labor and the Coalition are now fed up with them too.

But Mr Palmer's party says they are the horse to back on polling day.

"If people are sick of voting for Liberal and Labor, getting the same outcome each time but expecting a different result, they're crazy," the spokesman said.

Mr Palmer, 65, told journalists recently Australians politicians should retire at 70.