Clive Palmer to ex-Queensland Nickel staff: Get a job

CLIVE Palmer has stunningly declared sacked Queensland Nickel workers should show some “initiative” and get a job while defending his luxury Mediterranean cruise.

Businessman and former federal MP Clive Palmer.

CLIVE Palmer has stunningly declared sacked Queensland Nickel workers should show some “initiative” and get a job while defending his luxury Mediterranean cruise.

The former billionaire resurfaced in Brisbane yesterday after his European holiday last month, and hit out when asked if the outrage among QN’s former workers over his trip was justified.

“I am not responsible for your job and your family, you are,” Mr Palmer said. “If you happen to be unemployed for two years, that doesn’t show much initiative about yourself does it? … I wouldn’t be unemployed for two years. I accept my responsibility to look after my wife and my children and I expect anyone else should.”

QN collapsed last year with $300 million in debts and 800 workers were made redundant.

Businessman and former federal MP Clive Palmer leaves the Planning and Environment Court in Brisbane. Picture: AAP

Mr Palmer was at the Planning and Environment Court yesterday attending mediation with the State Government ­relating to environmental protection orders placed on QN’s refinery in Townsville.

While he couldn’t talk about the closed-door mediation session, he said he wasn’t worried about a mammoth lawsuit being mounted against him by the government-appointed liquidators of QN, because he said it had “no substance”.

Just hours later, liquidators PPB Advisory alleged he refused to be served at his CBD office with paperwork for the litigation, which aims to claw back more than $200 million in debts as well as compensation for alleged insolvent trading.

“Despite Mr Palmer advising that he was prepared to accept service of proceedings commenced against him by the Special Purpose Liquidators when he returned to Australia, he took evasive steps to avoid being served today,” liquidator Stephen Parbery said in a statement last night.

The liquidators claim Mr Palmer told them he would be returning next week, and his surprise appearance yesterday led to an attempt to serve him, which was allegedly thwarted by his staff.

Mr Palmer denied the liquidators’ allegations that he was a shadow director of the company and that it was trading insolvent since late 2015. .