A former rugby league hard man, famous for a 1985 punch-up with a New Zealand player, has been named an election candidate to run for billionaire Clive Palmer's party.
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The businessman announced former international and state of origin star Greg Dowling as his United Australia Party candidate for the marginal Townsville seat of Herbert on Thursday.
"Townsville has been totally forgotten," Mr Dowling said in a statement.
"The people of Brisbane and Canberra don't care about us in north Queensland.
"The United Australia Party wants to change all of that, to give the people the voice and the representation they deserve."
Mr Dowling's sideline stoush with Kevin Tamati in a Brisbane test landed them both in the sin bin and rugby league legend.
Mr Palmer had himself nominated for preselection for the electorate, held by Labor incumbent Cathy O'Toole by just 37 votes and a key seat all parties hope to seize on polling day.
The former federal MP is now entering the race for a seat in the Senate, alongside his other Queensland UAP candidates Martin Brewster and Yodie Batzke.
Mr Brewster is Mr Palmer's nephew and was an executive at his Queensland Nickel refinery business before it collapsed in 2016.
It is not the first time Mr Brewster has made a bid for public office under his uncle's political banner.
Ms Batzke highlights the rate of death among Indigenous babies in advertisements posted online.
"Our Indigenous babies die at three times the rate of white babies and politicians do nothing," Ms Batzke says in a party promo.
"That's racism, real racism. What do we value if it's not our children?"
Mr Palmer's popularity in Townsville waned after his Queensland Nickel business was put into voluntary administration.
The community has not yet forgotten how his nickel refinery fell apart, leaving 800 workers without a job and owing about $300 million.
His party intends to run a full ticket in all states and territories for the Senate, but is yet to reveal who it will preference.
Mr Palmer's political party is running a candidate in all 151 lower house seats, and has so far spent about $50 million on advertising that has run across billboards, social media and television for months.
Australian Associated Press
