Clive Palmer dodges $65 million entitlements bill for his Queensland Nickel workers

TAXPAYERS have now forked out more than $65 million to pay the entitlements of Clive Palmer’s former Townsville workers while the self-proclaimed billionaire has not paid a cent.

Clive Palmer is due in court today to face questioning over the fall of Queensland Nickel.

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TAXPAYERS have now forked out more than $65 million to pay the entitlements of Clive Palmer’s former Townsville workers while the self-proclaimed billionaire has not paid a cent.

It comes as his nephew and fellow QNI executive Clive Mensink remains overseas where he cannot be served to face public examination over the company’s collapse – despite having put in a claim for $240,000 in unpaid employee entitlements.

When Queensland Nickel went into liquidation, the creditors’ report revealed the company owed its workers more than $70 million in unpaid entitlements, including superannuation payments.

The Government moved in to pick up to the costs to ensure the workers were paid, making it the company’s biggest creditor.

As Mr Palmer fronts up to face questioning over the matter in court today, his nephew Mr Mensink has been unable to be served as he has been out of the country since June.

Mr Mensink’s most recent lawyer, Brendan Nyst, confirmed Mr Mensink was out of the country, last headed to Hong Kong for a holiday in June, but he was unaware where he currently was.

The $65.8 million is the largest payout made under the Federal Government’s Fair Entitlement Guarantee scheme, a safety net to pay workers’ entitlements in the event of a company collapse.

Liquidator PPB is seeking to recoup the cash through QN-related companies QNI Metals and QNI Resources on behalf of the Government.

Federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash revealed 755 claims had already been assessed and paid out in record time.

Just four claims are yet to be finalised and one is under review.

The Courier-Mail understands Mr Mensink’s claim is also one of the cases yet to be finalised.

Mr Palmer and Mr Mensink did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.