Clive Palmer accuses unemployed QN workers of lacking initiative on jobs

Clive Palmer has taken a swipe at former Queensland Nickel employees struggling to find work, saying they lack initiative.

‘I wouldn’t be unemployed­ for two years’: Clive Palmer in Brisbane yesterday. Picture: AAP

Clive Palmer has taken a swipe at former Queensland Nickel employees who are struggling to find work, saying they lack “initiative” and that he was not responsible for their plight.

The former federal MP, who recently returned from a “romantic” month-long European holiday, also told journalists in Brisbane yesterday he understood why his nephew, Clive Mensink — the former QN director who is now the subject of an arrest warrant — felt “disillusioned with Australians”.

This came as taxpayer-funded special-purpose liquidators PPB Advisory tried and failed to serve papers on Mr Palmer at his lawyers’ office in Brisbane over a legal bid to claw back $300 million owed to QN’s creditors.

In remarks that have angered Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill, Mr Palmer said he should not be held responsible for almost 800 workers who lost their jobs in QN’s collapse 18 months ago. “I’m not responsibl­e for your job and for your family — you are. And if you haven’t been employed for two years it doesn’t show too much initiati­ve about yourself, does it?” Mr Palmer said yesterday.

“Why not move the location or go somewhere? I wouldn’t be unemployed­ for two years — I’d accep­t my responsibility to look after my wife and my children. I expect everyone else should, too.”

QN’s liquidat­ors have accused Mr Palmer in court of being a “shadow director” of the company while serving as a federal MP, allegedly using an email address under the name “Terry Smith” to give instructions to Mr Mensink and others about the refinery plant’s operations.

PPB Advisory issued a statement yesterday saying staff at Mr Palmer’s lawyers’ office refused to allow an agent of theirs — who had seen the former MP inside — serve the paper­s on him, before having the agent escorted from the building by security. This is despite­ the lawyers previously telling PPB’s legal team that he was returning to Australia next week.

“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,” PPB’s Stephen Parbery­ said.

“We encourage Mr Palmer to now accept service, and bring the legal proceedings before the court without delay. This is Mr Palmer’s opportunity to provide defence for his actions through the courts and let a judge determine his guilt or innocence.”

Mr Palmer yesterday repeated his denial of having acted as a shadow director and said he retired­ from business when he becam­e a federal MP.

In Townsville, Ms Hill said no one should blame the former workers for being without jobs.

“Clive Palmer’s comments smack of a person who doesn’t take responsibility for their actions,” she said. “Everything falls back to the management that operated the nickel refinery and what went on. He wants (the workers) to leave town, but there are people who have got deep roots in our community, who have family support.”

Outside the Planning and Envir­on­ment Court in Brisbane, Mr Palmer also denied knowing Mr Mensink’s whereabouts and said he did not see him during his European holiday.