Businessman Clive Palmer's United Australia Party (UAP) spent $2 million last week on advertising in its run to field candidates in the coming federal election campaign, according to estimates by Nielsen.
However, the major parties cut back on ads in TV, radio and print.
The Liberal Party spent $10,000 compared to $765,000 the week before and Labor just $5,000, down from $700,000 the previous seven days.
An election date is expected to be announced in the next week or so, following the federal budget.
Over the last three weeks UAP has spent an estimated $5.5 million, Liberals $1.58 million and Labor $1.55 million, as this chart from Nielsen shows:
Mining millionaire Palmer is estimated to have spent more than $27 million on advertising since he announced in September last year his bid to re-enter parliament.
This is more than the $16 million spent by major parties for the entire election campaign of 2016, according to Nielsen.
Palmer, who served as the member for Fairfax for one term in 2013, is this year vowing to run candidates in all 150 House of Representatives seats.
Nielsen's weekly numbers on election ad spending across TV, radio and print:
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