Timeline: Clive Palmer's greatest hits

Clive Palmer has announced he will not run again in his lower house seat of Fairfax on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Here are some of his key moments in politics.

Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer announces his retirement from politics at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP

2012

April: Announces he will seek LNP pre-selection for the Brisbane seat of Lilley, held for Labor by former treasurer Wayne Swan.

2013

April: Announces he will contest the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax, held by the LNP.

May: Sets up his own political party - the Palmer United Party - after falling out with Campbell Newman's LNP state government.

September: Narrowly wins Fairfax by 53 votes, making it federal parliament's most marginal seat.

2014

July: PUP senators Jacqui Lambie, Glenn Lazarus and Dio Wang sworn in to parliament.

They support axing the carbon tax, but save the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Climate Change Authority.

September: PUP senators help government scrap the mining tax.

November: Lambie quits PUP to sit as an independent.

2015

March: Lazarus quits PUP to sit as an independent.

2016

January: Palmer's Queensland Nickel goes into voluntary administration.

April: Administrators announce liquidation of QN, accusing Palmer of taking money out of the company for private use. Government forced to use taxpayer money to pay hundreds of workers their entitlements.

May: Announces he will not re-contest Fairfax at the July 2 election.

Quotable quotes

"She's been spying on Rupert for years, giving back to Chinese intelligence." - On claims Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife Wendi Deng is a Chinese spy.

"They're Communist, they shoot their own people, they haven't got a justice system and they want to take over this country." - Talking about Chinese government "mongrels" on Q&A.

"He is a Nazi, of course he is a Nazi, he wants the Gestapo." - About his nemesis Campbell Newman.

"Why should Australian citizens and businesses be taxed and working women discriminated against just so the prime minister's chief of staff can receive a massive benefit when she gets pregnant?" - Palmer on Tony Abbott's aborted paid parental leave scheme and how it would benefit Peta Credlin.

"I'll give you a headline: he's like tits on a bull." - On the "useless" independent senator Nick Xenophon.