Clive Palmer refuses to use personal wealth to pay out sacked workers from troubled nickel refinery

EMBATTLED billionaire Clive Palmer says the rights of sacked workers from his Nickel refinery is not his problem — and his party won’t be helping either.

26/1/2016: Embattled businessman and MP for the seat of Fairfax, Clive Palmer at the Australia Day citizenship ceremony at Palmwoods, on the Sunshine Coast. This is his first public appearance since his nickel refinery went into administration, and he clearly felt the humidity and heat, sweating and leaving quickly afterwards. Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

EMBATTLED billionaire Clive Palmer says paying out the entitlements of sacked workers from his Queensland Nickel refinery is not his problem — and his Palmer United Party won’t be helping either.

Queensland Nickel, which bankrolled PUP to the tune of around $20 million, went into voluntary administration last week, just days after it announced 237 workers from its Yabulu nickel refinery near Townsville would be let go.

Those former workers have been left high and dry, with the company’s administrators so far refusing to pay out their entitlements.

But Mr Palmer, the federal member for the Sunshine Coast seat of Fairfax, said he had “no personal responsibility” to pay the workers because he stepped down as director of the company when he was elected to federal parliament in 2013.

“I have no personal responsibility, I retired from business over three years ago,” he said when asked if he’d use his own personal wealth to pay out staff entitlements.

Mr Palmer said when the workers were made redundant they were given two weeks’ wages in advance and a statement of their entitlements.

“The administrator has decided not to pay their entitlements, not me ... (I) really had no control over it,” Mr Palmer told the ABC.

“I’ve put up $250 million of assets to support any arrangement that the administrator comes up with, but the administrator is the one that is in control.

“(I’m) no more (financially accountable) than the other thousand employees who approved things. This whole thing about worker entitlements is the biggest beat up in press history.”

Mr Palmer also said PUP would not be repaying donations from the troubled nickel business to help.

Opposition employment spokesman Brendan O'Connor met with Queensland Nickel workers at the Townsville office of the Australian Workers’ Union this week as concerns mount over the future of the company. Picture: Evan Morgan

He has defended his decision to use money from his resources empire to fund the party.

“Rather than me take the $15 million and buy a new plane or a new house or a new resort, I decided to donate the money — the company decided to donate that money — to Palmer United,” he said.

“Now you tell me what other chief executive would go into parliament, set up a political party, get the balance of power in Australia, save the jobs of his workers. There isn’t one.

“It doesn’t expose me to any claims because the money only would have been paid to me anyway.”

Mr Palmer said he could have pocketed millions from Queensland Nickel but instead chose to use it to bankroll his party so he could campaign on important issues.

But the Australian Workers’ Union has asked the corporate regulator to investigate whether Mr Palmer has been exerting control over the company as a shadow director and if so, if he can be held personally liable for workers’ entitlements.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is yet to respond to the union’s request.

But it has held discussions with the company’s administrators, who are required under the Corporations Act to report back to ASIC and creditors.

The trouble surrounding Queensland Nickel comes as a damning new Galaxy poll this week revealed Mr Palmer had virtually no support left in the seat of Fairfax.

His primary support is sitting at just 2 per cent — down from 26.5 per cent when he narrowly won his federal seat on preferences at the 2013 election.