Clive Palmer faced a conundrum in Canberra on Thursday: whether to answer a question on China and Taiwan from one of the press gallery’s most esteemed journalists, or swallow the chunk of chocolate biscuit he’d just bitten into.

In the end, he did both, telling Andrew Probyn from Nine News that “once the American commitment goes, Taiwan wouldn’t be able to defend itself” through a mouthful of Tim Tam.

People are going to hear Palmer and his claims, whether they like it or not – so it’s important to interrogate what he actually stands for and what he wants to achieve with his truckload of cash.

Even if, as he told the National Press Club, “this is my golf”.

“At 70, I could join many Australians and play lawn bowls, right? I find this more exciting, talking to you, than playing lawn bowls,” Palmer told us, breaking into a grin when we asked about his marketing onslaught.

“Money is made to spend. It’s to buy subscriptions to the Guardian support, put ads in the Guardian, support journalists in this country. It’s to spend.”

And how much was he willing to lose? He said it would be more than $50m.

“As much as my wife will let me,” he said. “But I’ve had two Tim Tams today. So things are not looking good.”
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