United Australia leader Clive Palmer has claimed he was behind the Coalition's election victory - despite spending throughout the five-week campaign and not picking up a single seat.
While his party claimed 3.4 per cent of the national vote, Mr Palmer himself fell well short of the number of votes needed to win a Senate seat.
However, the former senator said his campaign was responsible for Labor's unexpected defeat.
"Of course, our Shifty Shorten ads across Australia, I think, have been very successful in suppressing the Labor vote," he told ABC.
"After all, the final analysis, we've saved Australia from a trillion dollars of extra taxes and cost."
Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Palmer went on to say he "improved the government’s position" by attacking former Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and the Labor Party.
"We decided to polarise the electorate and we thought we’d put what advertising we had left ... into explaining to the people what Shorten’s economic plans were for the country and how they needed to be worried about them," he said.
The final week of the election campaign saw Mr Palmer and the United Australia Party boost its efforts with more anti-Labor advertising.
Clive Palmer boosted efforts to derail Labor's campaign as polling day drew closer. Source: Twitter 'CliveFPalmer'
"Bill Shorten wants to tax us an extra trillion dollars," Palmer said in one ad.
"Tell Shifty he's dreaming - put Australia first and vote on the United Australia Party."
Although he did not secure enough votes to win a seat, Mr Palmer said instructing his voters to preference the Coalition was the reason were ultimately able to retain power.
“Ninety per cent of [our] preferences flowed to the Liberal party and they’ve won by about two per cent, so our vote has got them across the line.”
