Abbott vs Palmer - can't get along

Clive Palmer and Abbott appear to be involved in an escalating war. Palmer made some innuendo about one of Abbott's female staffers (Credlin) in relation to Abbott's paid parental leave fiasco. Abbott and the rest of his merry smokin men suddenly get all righteous and offended about an attack on their female staff member, even though there's only one female on the entire front bench. Palmer gives some half assed apology, fanning the fires of Abbott's feigned offence. Abbott fires back with righteous comments about females (*coughs*) and says Palmer doesn't know what he's talking about with the paid parental leave fiasco anyway. The Lieberals then all cancel some top event they were going to have with Palmer, presumably to butter him up for budget negotiations. Whew....... I think that's it so far.....

Needless to say the negotiations are off to a very bad start :) ha ha ha ha. One step closer to a Lieberal bloodbath.........

Interesting note though, apparently the "unexpected" dinner the other night with Palmer and Turnbull went very well.

Mr Palmer on Monday used a parliamentary debate to lash out at the government's paid parental leave scheme, suggesting Ms Credlin had influenced the policy because she stood to benefit. 

The comments provoked a backlash from all sides of politics, forcing Mr Palmer to issue a Twitter statement saying he did not intend to personally attack Ms Credlin. 

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Tuesday cancelled an event in which they and Mr Palmer would have been offered as dining companions to the highest bidder for the Canberra Press Gallery's mid-winter ball charity auction later this month. Read more