Mining magnate Clive Palmer suffers massive blow in $30 billion damages claim against WA

Mining magnate Clive Palmer has suffered a huge blow to his $30 billion damages claim against the WA government.

Clive Palmer’s $30 billion compensation claim against the WA government has been weakened, according to the Attorney-General. Picture: Alix Sweeney

Clive Palmer’s $30 billion damages claim against the WA government is allegedly “dead as a doormat” after the mining magnate lost a significant legal fight in a Queensland court.

The Queensland Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the registration of two arbitration awards vital to Mr Palmer’s damages claim should be set aside.

The decision overturns a ruling in August that enforced the awards shortly after the WA parliament passed unprecedented legislation that terminated Mr Palmer’s damages claim over a stalled iron ore project in the Pilbara region.

WA Attorney-General John Quigley said it was a massive win for taxpayers and effectively meant the billionaire’s compensation claim was “dead”.

“Dead as a doormat. I am so relieved and all West Australians should be so relieved that we’ve had another massive win over Mr Palmer,” Mr Quigley told ABC radio.

Clive Palmer has suffered another legal blow in his ongoing dispute with the WA government. The billionaire is pictured here on his boat Nancy Jean. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

Mr Palmer previously lost a similar court battle against the WA government in the Northern Territory, but Mr Quigley said the Queensland case was “the hot one” that WA really needed to win.

“The last step he’s got now is to try to have the whole of the Act that was brought in declared unconstitutional, but this win in Queensland considerably weakens his case,” Mr Quigley said.

“He’s now going to have to amend his case somehow … but we’ll be ready for that.”

Mr Palmer has been seeking compensation from the WA government over its initial refusal to allow him to develop the Balmoral South iron ore project, with the issue dating back to 2012 under the previous Barnett government.

Premier Mark McGowan said he made “absolutely no apologies” for being “harsh” when it came to Mr Palmer.

“We are fighting him on many fronts,” Mr McGowan told reporters.

WA Attorney-General John Quigley says Mr Palmer’s High Court challenge has been weakened.

NCA NewsWire is seeking comment from Mr Palmer.

He previously likened WA’s legislation to the North Korean dictatorship.

“The Act destroys WA’s reputation as a place where the rule of law applied,” Mr Palmer said in August.

Earlier this month, the businessman lost his High Court challenge against WA’s coronavirus border closure, which he had argued was unconstitutional.

Mr Palmer still has other legal disputes with WA, including defamation proceedings against Mr McGowan.