Queensland Nickel: Insolvency experts engaged as Clive Palmer, Clive Mensink issue statements

CLIVE Palmer and his nephew Clive Mensink have taken turns issuing statements about their embattled Queensland Nickel refinery, as insolvency experts get involved.

BUSINESSMAN-turned-politician Clive Palmer’s embattled nickel refinery is seeking advice from insolvency experts in a desperate bid to keep open, State Government officials have been told.

It comes has Queensland Nickel director Clive Mensink, who is Mr Palmer’s nephew, announced the refinery’s nearly 800 workers would be paid next week, but the future was uncertain after that.

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It is understood that Queensland Nickel chief financial officer Daren Wolfe met with a senior State Development Department officer on Wednesday and informed them that insolvency firm Hall Chadwick had been instructed to look for avenues for the struggling company to keep trading.

The Queensland Government has a team prepared to help workers should the company go into administration.

Australian Workers Union boss Ben Swan said workers had been kept in limbo and the company needed to come clean and give them certainty.

“People at the very least deserve to know what’s going on,” he said.

“They can’t have three or four more months of this, limping from monthly payment to monthly payment with the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.”

Mr Swan said promises from Mr Mensink that workers would be paid next Friday was “not the worst news” but little comfort to employees.

In a statement released yesterday Mr Mensink said he and Mr Wolfe had done all they could, despite low nickel prices.

“We want every worker at Queensland Nickel to know that arrangements have been made for wages to be paid next week,” he said.

“All we can do together is produce as much nickel as we can as efficient as we can and support each other in doing so.”

Clive Palmer (right) and Clive Mensink have both issued statements about the future of Queensland Nickel.

This was shortly followed by a statement by Mr Palmer attacking the Queensland Government for not helping him, and citing China and Canada as nations that propped up their resource sectors.

“The Queensland Labor Government’s refusal to offer any assistance to Queensland Nickel is making it near impossible to compete in the international marketplace,” he said.

But Treasurer Curtis Pitt and other Government officials met with the former billionaire on several occasions last year to discuss the situation, while Mr Palmer was criticised for making demands for guarantees without opening up his books.

Queensland Nickel has donated about $20 million to the Palmer United Party in the past two ­financial years.

Employment Minister Grace Grace said the Government had been advised the company intended to attempt to trade through this period.

“Any decision to close the business rests entirely with the company’s owner, but the Palaszczuk Government stands ready to deploy our Rapid Response Team to help affected workers if this unfortunately happens,” she said.

“Comparing Queensland to China and Canada does nothing to reassure the workers and the people of Townsville that everything is being done to ensure Queensland Nickel’s long-term viability.”