Clive Palmer weighs in as Liberals increase pressure on Nationals

Billionaire Clive Palmer is not ruling out helping the Nationals financially should the party separate permanently from the Coalition, but says the former junior Coalition partner needs to work out what it stands for.

As the stand-off between the Liberals and Nationals showed no sign of being resolved – and could run all the way to the Monday deadline that Liberal leader Sussan Ley set for a final decision – Palmer conceded he had talked to members of the party to which he belonged for 40 years.