Clive Palmer sue threat over Covid-19 vaccination decrees

Clive Palmer has threatened legal action against Paul Kelly and Greg Hunt over the federal government’s vaccine rollout.

Clive Palmer. Picture: Alix Sweeney

Clive Palmer has set-up a showdown with the Morrison government ahead of the next election, threatening legal action against Paul Kelly and Greg Hunt over the federal government’s vaccine rollout.

The Queensland billionaire, who bankrolled a multimillion-dollar advertising blitz against Labor during the 2019 election campaign, has warned the chief medical officer and Health Minister that he will fund a class action against the federal govern­ment if it implements legislation, regulations, policies, declarations or incentives requiring ­individuals to be vaccinated.

In a legal letter sent by solicitor Jonathan Shaw to Professor Kelly and Mr Hunt on August 6, Mr Palmer claimed it was “unconscionable” for the government to perpetuate the “false­hood that the Covid-19 vaccines prevent a person from becoming infected with the disease and prevent a person from infecting others”.

Since the national vaccine rollout began in February, the commonwealth has not advocated that vaccines would stop a person becoming infected, transmitting the virus or becoming sick, but rather protect people against severe symptoms, hospitalisations and deaths.

Assistant Minister to the ­Attorney-General Amanda Stoker said: “Palmer’s threat to fund a class action feeds vaccination hesitancy.” The Queensland LNP senator said at a time when Australians were frustrated with being locked down, “every ­person who is fit, able and willing needs to get the jab. His threats are unhelpful to Australians who want to get back to work, school and living freely.”

The Australian understands under reforms announced last year, litigation funders must hold an Australian Financial Services Licence and register litigation funding schemes.

This would likely stymie Mr Palmer’s threat to act as a litigation funder.

In NSW, which is struggling to suppress the Delta outbreak with 344 cases recorded on Wednesday, 374 people have been ­admitted to hospital with Covid, with 62 of them in intensive care.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said 57 of the 62 in ICU were not vaccinated while five had received one jab.

Senior Coalition sources said concerns were growing that Mr Palmer and other conservative parties would run hard on anti-vaccine, anti-lockdown agendas at the next election. A small rump of Coalition MPs, including Queensland Nationals MP George Christensen, who was condemned by the parliament on Tuesday, is frustrating the government’s ambition to reach at least 70 per cent national vaccine coverage by December.

In question time on Wednesday, Scott Morrison and Mr Hunt pushed back against Covid-19 disinformation spread by groups such as QAnon.

“Crazy rubbish conspiracies have no place when it comes to the public health of this country, and this government will have no association with it,” the Prime Minister said. “Ensuring we take all steps we can to deal with misinformation is what this government is doing.”

Mr Morrison said engagement with multicultural and faith leaders, including those in southwest Sydney and in Pacific communities, had been effective in supporting the vaccine rollout.

In the legal letter, his solicitor said Mr Palmer would seek damages and injunctions to block measures that could “cause economic loss” for businesses and individuals who refused vaccines. “It is unconscionable for you to support measures which require or coerce individuals to be vaccinated, or otherwise incentivise vaccination,” it said.