UAP leader Geoff Shaw defends claim that 3 ex-PMs, including Menzies, were in their party

The United Australia Party existed until 1945, but are not the same as the party Clive Palmer started in 2013.

Victorian leader of the United Australia Party, Geoff Shaw, has spoken to 6 News about why he's trying to make a political comeback at the November 26 state election.

Shaw was elected as a Liberal Party member in the seat of Frankston at the 2010 election, but became an independent before the 2014 election where he lost his seat.

He's now running in the Northern Victoria Region in the upper house.

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Current Northern Victoria Region MLCs

ALP Jaclyn Symes (Labor)

LIB Wendy Lovell (Liberal)

DHJP Tania Maxwell (Justice)

LDP Tim Quilty (Liberal Democrats)

RETIRING

ALP Mark Gepp (Labor)

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Shaw told 6 News that he joined the UAP in 2015, describing them as the "number one conservative party in the land."

When asked about his party's false claim that 3 former PMs - Joseph Lyons, Billy Hughes & Sir Robert Menzies - were part of their party, Shaw said that it was "still the United Australia Party, (with the) same colours."

There is no evidence that the original UAP, which existed from 1931 until 1945, used the colour yellow that is seen in the current UAP's branding - and it's believed they instead used the colour blue.

"The United Australia party, under that name, has had 3 Prime Ministers...it's not the party today."

While Lyons & Menzies were both PMs while also being members of the UAP, Hughes served as PM under the Labor Party, National Labor Party & Nationalist Party.

On its website, the UAP claims that the ex-PMs are part of "our history."

The current United Australia Party was formed in 2013 as the Palmer United Party. Before then, the Menzies-era UAP existed - along with a United Australia Party in South Australia that only contested the 1997 state election & Pauline's United Australia Party from 2007 until 2010.

Watch the full video here.

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