Clive Palmer ‘feared for physical safety’ over WA legislation move

A WA government move aimed at killing $30 billion legal claim against state ‘scared’ mining magnate, court told.

Clive Palmer and guests aboard his 4super yacht on Sydney Harbour as court case continues. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

Clive Palmer has told a court how he feared for his physical safety after the Western Australian government introduced legislation aimed at killing off his $30 billion legal claim against the state.

Testifying at his defamation battle with WA premier Mark McGowan in Sydney on Wednesday, Mr Palmer said elements of the legislation could potentially put him and his employees in physical danger.

“I thought about James Bond and his licence to kill. I didn’t know what the limits would be,” he said.

“I was scared because I didn’t expect governments to produce legislation like that in Australia. So it really told me that you better take these people seriously, they could do anything.”

Asked by Justice Michael Lee if he feared for his physical safety, Mr Palmer said he was worried about not just himself but his staff in WA.

The war of words now at the centre of the defamation battle stemmed from the WA government’s attempts to legislate away a $30 billion legal claim against the state by Mr Palmer’s private company Mineralogy.

Mineralogy and the government had been involved in a mediation action at the time over a compensation claim over WA’s earlier rejection of a plan to develop one of Mineralogy’s iron ore projects in the state.

The legislation aimed at killing off the claim stripped Mr Palmer and Mineralogy of their rights to pursue the matter and included indemnities against criminal prosecution for Mr McGowan and WA Attorney-General John Quigley.

Mr Palmer told the court he vomited after learning of the plans.

He also described his anger at the legislation, given the mediation process was subject to confidentiality provisions.

“I was very, very angry, like I’ve been deceived. I felt stupid for believing them in the first place,” he said.

“I felt in one way stupid, and in another way helpless. I was really mad that they had lied to everybody.”

High-profile lawyer Bret Walker SC has just begun his cross-examination of Mr Palmer.