Coronavirus: Clive Palmer‘s show of support for Qld Government’s COVID-19 border closure

Businessman Clive Palmer is “not the biggest fan” of Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk – but he’s offered his surprising support for the state’s rigid border measures.

OWNER of the failed Queensland Nickel refinery and constant campaigner Clive Palmer said he is in support of the Queensland Labor Government’s existing border closures.

The comments from Mr Palmer come as he battles with Western Australia’s premier about that state’s strict border rules – which currently bar residents of all other state’s from entering.

“We need a rational approach, these borders between Queensland, all the different places have been set historically and we need to make sure we quarantine hot spots.

Clive Palmer has backed the Queensland border closure. PICTURE: Stewart McLean

“We see the premier of Queensland who I am not the biggest fan of, but she has had a policy where she doesn’t quarantine every state in the commonwealth, she has quarantined where there has been a real problem.”

Speaking out front of his Gold Coast home suburb of Paradise Point, he added: “But of course that is the approach you need.”

The comments come months after the mining magnate attempted to overturn Queensland’s last border closure by way of a High Court challenge.

The case was dropped by Mr Palmer in July, after Queensland reopened borders due to a national drop in case numbers.

“She has done a reasonable job, I think it is not her (Palaszczuk) it is the whole government, I would say have done a reasonable job in doing that.

Police checking vehicles at the Queensland-NSW border at Griffith St, Coolangatta. Picture: Adam Head

“You don’t want to be political about health issues if you can. I am sure people in the Labor Party and liberal party want all our citizens to have a good health outcome.”

Mr Palmer said Queensland’s border closure measures were different to those he had taken issue with in WA.

“When you contrast what she has done and what Mark (McGowan) has done it is totally different,” he said.

“So we are saying where there is a real problem we want to address it, we want the ability to do it. We don’t want to create problems when they aren’t there and scare people.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaking during Question Time at Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

“Mark McGowan said for every place in you live in Australia, you can’t come to Western Australia for the next couple of years if you talk to him. The impact of that has been very bad on jobs on people’s lives.”

The Palmer United Party leader said his party was also ready for the upcoming election as it had “more billboards out of anyone.”

“We have a very simple message in the election, just give Labor the boot.”

He did not confirm the number of candidates, what seats they will be running in or if he intends to preference the LNP.

Mr Palmer on Wednesday pulled out of testifying at a Parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s trade with China, claiming he had a cold. He did not mention it on Wednesday.