Clive Palmer defends luxury Mediterranean holiday as liquidators seek $66 million

CLIVE Palmer has defended his right to take 20 of his nearest and dearest on a $10,000 a head luxury cruise, saying the only crime he was guilty of was loving his wife and family.

• Clive cruises as liquidators seek $66 million

CLIVE Palmer has defended his right to take 20 of his nearest and dearest on a $10,000 a head luxury cruise, saying the only crime he was guilty of was loving his wife and family.

The Daily Telegraph revealed today the former mining magnate had splashed out on a 24-day cruise in the Mediterranean, just a month after turning up to Federal Court clutching a sick bag, as liquidators pursued $66 million in entitlements for sacked workers from his Queensland Nickel refinery.

Clive Palmer has set off on a luxury Mediterranean cruise with family and friends. Picture: Martin Seras Lima

Palmer said he had not been accused of any crime and was within his rights to take a holiday.

“Like any Australian, I have the right to take my family on a holiday,” he said.

“If it is a crime to love your wife and children to spend time with them then I am guilty.”

In his statement, released after The Daily Telegraph published photographs of Palmer boarding the Holland America cruise on Friday with his wife Anna and daughter Emily, the former federal politician claimed he was the only person in the country who had stood up to Chinese “infiltration” and railed against injustice.

“The fact of the matter is that I am the only Australian who has offered any resistance to the Chinese Government’s infiltration of our country or the takeover of our media by foreign interests,” he said.

“There are no actions against me for anything in any court. I have not been accused of any crime against anyone.

“An injustice to one man anywhere is an injustice to all men everywhere.”

Palmer is aboard the Holland America Mediterranean. Picture: Martin Seras Lima

The 2000-person cruise ship boasts a spa, basketball court, restaurants, swimming pools and a fitness centre. The itinerary takes in Gibraltar, Majorca, Sicily, Malta, Croatia, Greece and Dubrovnik.

One of the cruise attendees is the adult son of former Queensland Nickel managing director Clive Mensink, who has been abroad for a year despite being the subject of two arrest warrants. Insiders speculate Mr Mensink Sr will join the cruise party at some point to see his son.

Mr Mensink has spent the past 12 months travelling the world, making him unavailable to be questioned in the Federal Court — which has issued two warrants for his arrest. Mr Mensink has appealed against these warrants but did not turn up to the May 10 hearing.

Palmer rejected assertions he had let down the nearly 800 workers who were sacked from Queensland Nickel.

Clive Palmer's wife Anna. Pic: Martin Seras Lima

Palmer has defended his expensive holiday. Picture: Martin Seras Lima

“As for Queensland Nickel, I provided over two billion dollars of support for the company for three years to protect 3000 Australians in jobs when BHP wanted to sack them in 2009. The Commonwealth Government received over $700 million dollars in tax because of my efforts,” he said.

“The Commonwealth Government has provided all outstanding entitlements to all Queensland Nickel employees in accordance with legislation introduced by the Howard Government.

“Projects that I personally started have produced over 14 billion dollars of investment in Australia and in 2012 I was named a National Living Treasure by the National Trust. The people behind those in power in this country destroy diversity and opportunity for our young people and deprives them of their future.”

The holiday comes as Mr Palmer, whose fortune has been whittled down to a reported $100 million, is fighting multiple court cases in Australia. The federal government is seeking to recover $66 million that it forked out for in entitlements for nearly 800 workers sacked from the collapsed Queensland Nickel refinery.

Queensland Nickel, led by Mr Mensink, went into voluntary administration last January, and then liquidation, with creditors owed $300 million.

Mr Palmer has denied any responsibility for the workers or creditors, saying he retired from business activities in 2013 when he was elected to federal Parliament. He has said Mr Mensink, as the refinery operator’s director, is the person obligated to answer questions.

In a second court case in the WA Supreme Court, Mr Palmer was set to face cross-examination by lawyers for the Chinese state-owned investment conglomerate Citic but removed himself from the witness list on Thursday. The trial is over a multibillion-dollar­ royalties dispute regarding Citic’s $12 billion Sino Iron mine in the Pilbara.