Embattled Clive Palmer calls for action to save Arrium jobs, could run candidates in South Australia

EMBATTLED mining magnate Clive Palmer has urged the Federal Government to save Arrium from facing a similar fate to his Queensland nickel business.

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CLIVE Palmer has urged the Federal Government to take immediate action to prevent Whyalla steelmaker Arrium facing a similar fate to his Queensland Nickel plant.

The embattled mining magnate, Palmer United Party founder and MP also revealed he could run candidates in South Australia at the federal election.

Mr Palmer on Tuesday announced he was seeking a court injunction against the administrators of his Townsville-based refinery business Queensland Nickel, which is facing liquidation.

The closure of Queensland Nickel is likely to have added the final nail in the political coffin of the MP for the Queensland seat of Fairfax.

Mr Palmer accused the Chinese Government of manipulating global commodity prices and said more needed to be done to help Whyalla, where administrators are trying to save the jobs of about 3000 Arrium workers.

“We need action to save 14,000 jobs in Whyalla now,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“The Chinese steel industry is dumping its steel stock at less than cost on the world market to bring down the price of steel and eliminate competition and jobs and steel production in Australia.

“The Australian Government does nothing but boast about a one-way trade agreement.’’

The Federal Government is considering a report from the Anti-Dumping Commission into the sale of cheap Asian steel in Australia.

Clive Palmer wants the Federal Government to take action to prevent Whyalla steelmaker Arrium facing a similar fate to his Queensland Nickel plant.

Mr Palmer is set to run candidates against PUP defectors Glenn Lazarus in Queensland and Jacqui Lambie in Tasmania. He predicted it would be difficult for the two senators to be re-elected.

“It's for the people to decide, isn’t it?’’, he said.

Mr Palmer also said about 140 people had expressed interest in running as PUP candidates for the House of Representatives. The only remaining PUP senator is Western Australia’s Dio Wang.

Mr Palmer said he intended to recontest his seat of Fairfax but did not rule out an attempt to switch to the Senate.

Despite widespread predictions voters will eliminate the Palmer United Party at the election, Mr Palmer believed the group still had a chance.

“Between 12 and 14 per cent of Australians are not going to vote Green, Liberal, National or Labor — they want to vote for somebody else,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“We were the most successful party of that group in Australia attracting votes.”

Mr Palmer said he had asked consultants PwC for their own report on Queensland Nickel finances. He denied acting as a shadow director of Queensland Nickel, that he removed funds to cover PUP’s 2013 election campaign or that the company was insolvent last year.

He said nickel prices had been manipulated, with large quantities purchased at very low prices, then the price rose.

— With AAP