Clive Palmer says he’s not responsible for Queensland Nickel job losses
Refinery boss threatens to take his money offshore unless Queensland government abandon game of “get Clive Palmer”.
Clive Palmer has threatened to take his money offshore unless the Queensland government abandons its game of “get Clive Palmer”, insisting he was not responsible for massive job losses at his Townsville nickel refinery.
The businessman MP’s botched rescue plan for the stricken refinery on Friday cost nearly 550 workers their jobs and threw his $23 million line of credit into doubt as he sweats on last-minute state government permits to legally run the plant.
The MP for Fairfax today eschewed responsibility for the job losses.
“It’s a great tragedy, and of course we didn’t let those workers go – I mean, Clive Palmer, we didn’t,” he told ABC’s Insiders.
“The administrator decided to close up shop and in doing so freeze the bank accounts for the business to make them not available for ongoing operations which I think is I think a bad thing.”
Asked if there was any hope of rehiring the workers, he said: “I can just say that, as an investor, putting all this aside, I don’t think I’m prepared to put millions of dollars in there unless there’s clear guidelines from the Queensland government that they will behave reasonably.
“We need leadership from the Labor Party and leadership from the government. It shouldn’t be about ‘get Clive Palmer’.”
“The Queensland government needs to decide if it wants to have industry manufacturing industry in Queensland. It’s OK if they don’t; I will invest my funds elsewhere, I will invest it in other states or overseas.”
Mr Palmer refused to disclose the source of the $23 million lifeline, but said his lawyers were satisfied with the contract.
Mr Palmer said political leaders’ personal attacks against him were “unprecedented” noting sackings in other industries had not received similar attention.
“If they want to have a go at me, fair enough, politically. But why have a go at workers?”
INQUIRER: Palmer’s struggle to save Yabulu
BACKGROUND: Palmer resorts to a dash for some cash
Palmer leaves Senate option open
Clive Palmer has left the door open for a possible tilt at a Senate seat in order to stay in federal parliament.
When asked on ABC television today if poor polling in his seat of Fairfax has prompted plans to move to the Senate, the businessman did not rule out a move to the upper house.
He said he will wait until the election is called, adding that any such move would need to signed off by his party, and with all the bad publicity he has received they might decide he is the last person they want to lead a Senate ticket.
