Clive Palmer still a national treasure, NSW National Trust says

Clive Palmer is still a national living treasure, despite being accused of insolvent trading and breaching the corporations law.

Among other achievements, Clive Palmer remains on the National Trust’s list. Picture: Liam Kidston

Clive Palmer is still a national living treasure, despite being accused of insolvent trading and breaching the corporations law.

The National Trust of NSW — which administers the list — confirmed to The Australian that the former federal MP Mr Palmer was “still a treasure” and he would only be removed if there were a conviction recorded against him.

In a recent 214-page affidavit filed in the Queensland Supreme Court in his ongoing battle with liquidators of his collapsed company Queensland Nickel, Mr Palmer boasts of his treasure status.

“I was elected as a Living National Treasure by the people of Australia and declared as such in a poll conducted by the National Trust of Australia,” Mr Palmer said in the affidavit.

Among other achievements, Mr Palmer says he was an adjunct professor of law at Deakin University, was the “World Secretary General of the World Leadership Alliance, an institute with the largest number former heads of government of any organisation currently operating in the world,” and is a director of the John F Kennedy Library in Boston.

The document was filed in response to special purpose liquidators PPB Advisory’s mammoth civil lawsuit against Mr Palmer, his fugitive nephew Clive Mensink, and many of Mr Palmer’s companies, over the collapse of Queensland Nickel.

Nearly 800 workers lost their jobs and creditors were left more than $300m out of pocket when Mr Palmer’s refinery company failed last year.

PPB Advisory alleges Mr Palmer breached corporations law, allowed Queensland Nickel to trade while insolvent and shirked his duties as a company director.

The lawsuit also sues Mr Palmer personal for more than $73m and alleges both he and Mr Mensink each owe damages worth $13m for allegedly allowing the company to trade while insolvent.

There are no criminal charges against Mr Palmer and he has strenuously denied any wrongdoing in relation to the corporate collapse.

A spokesman for the National Trust of NSW said the organisation was keeping a “watching brief” on the matter. He said the only way to remove a treasure was the same as for someone awarded an Order of Australia, and only occurred if a person was convicted of an offence.

The spokesman said former judge Marcus Einfeld — who was found guilty of lying to evade a speeding fine — and disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris — convicted of child sex offences in the UK — are the only national living treasures to be ejected from the list.

The Australian reported documentary evidence in September 2016 that showed Queensland Nickel workers had been instructed to vote for Mr Palmer to become a national treasure in 2012.

There are no current plans for another vote for national treasures.