In an extraordinary development, Clive Palmer has announced that the two Palmer United Party senators, Glenn Lazarus and Dio Wang, will abstain from voting on government legislation indefinitely three weeks after voting to significantly dismantle the R&D Tax Incentive.
The decision, which in a statement Mr Palmer said would remain in place until government "chaos" ended, comes just three weeks after PUP reached a late-night deal with the Abbott Government on changes to the R&D Tax Incentive.
Under the changes, which will save the Budget $1.4 billion over the next four years, claims under the tax incentive will be capped and backdated to last July.
PUP gave its support to the changes the day after the recent spill motion on the Liberal Party leadership.
PUP did not speak during Senate debate on the changes, nor did it issue any statement explaining its position.
It yesterday's statement announcing the plan to abstain, Mr Palmer did not explain how government "chaos" is worse than it was at the time of the spill motion.