Australian mining mogul to run against treasurer

Australian mining billionaire Clive Palmer on Monday said he will run against Treasurer Wayne Swan in national elections, escalating a fiery war-of-words between the government and the outspoken mogul. Palmer, a leading critic of the centre-left Labor government of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, said he would enter politics to challenge Swan in his Queensland seat of Lilley in polls due next year. "I intend to put to the test to the people of this country my views against the treasurer in his home seat of Lilley," Palmer told reporters. "He has been the sitting member for far too long. It's about time we get this country moving again." Swan has in recent weeks rounded on Palmer and fellow mining heavyweights Gina Rinehart and Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, accusing the "vested interests" of the rich of threatening Australian democracy. "He has claimed that because of my loud opposition to his party's ill-conceived carbon tax, I am a threat to democracy," Palmer said. "Well, I believe I am demonstrating exactly what democracy is meant to be about... fighting for what I believe in and freedom of speech. "All going well I look forward to giving Mr Swan a harsh lesson in democracy on polling day." Palmer said he will seek pre-selection to run against Swan as a candidate for the conservative Liberal National Party (LNP). The LNP last month scored a landslide win in Queensland state elections, unceremoniously dumping Labor Premier Anna Bligh in a vote which Palmer said was an indication of feelings nationwide about the ruling party. "I expect voters to show the same disdain for Labor at the next federal election that they showed in Queensland," Palmer said.He also called on the unpopular Gillard, who leads a fragile coalition government, to call an early election. But he said he had no intention of wanting to become prime minister himself. "I am happy to be a cog in the machine, just going along, doing what I can do to make the country better because we are all Australians whether we are billionaires, millionaires, whether we live in a very poor circumstance or not," he said.