Clive Palmer the quitter

[Bomberboyokay]

Surely just about zero? He won Fairfax in 2013 after preferences by a few dozen votes. His 'outsider' gimmick must be completely stuffed by now:

Clive Palmer says Queensland Nickel donations to PUP were made before fall in nickel prices

Clive Palmer says donations made by Queensland Nickel to the Palmer United Party (PUP) were made before falling nickel prices led the struggling company to sack 237 workers.

Figures from the Electoral Commission of Queensland showed Queensland Nickel donated $288,516 to PUP, according to paperwork lodged on December 31.

However, Mr Palmer said the paperwork in question actually covered the period dating back to June.

"In June the forecast was that we would have a $73-million surplus right now, this year," he said.

"But, of course the nickel price has crashed and that didn't happen."

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ordered her ministers to fast-track public works projects across the state following after the major job losses at the Townsville nickel refinery.

The company has claimed the Government would not guarantee a $35-million loan to keep it afloat during low world prices for nickel.

Ms Palaszczuk said the Government offered to help but Mr Palmer had not been transparent in his dealings.

"The Government has done everything they possibly can with Queensland Nickel," she said.

"Unfortunately, Queensland Nickel was not prepared to open their books and be transparent to the Queensland Government.

"My firm view is that the priority for Mr Palmer should have been for the jobs and the workers at Queensland Nickel."

Mr Palmer said the Government could have done more to help save those jobs.

"I haven't had the support that other governments have [given] their metals industries," he said.

"Such as China, which has injected 30 billion yuan ($6.6 trillion) into their industry, and Canada, which has waived all electricity charges, and it makes it very difficult for Australian manufacturers to compete."

The Fairfax MP and PUP leader said his refinery provided "large amounts of money that sustain North Queensland".

"Since 2009, we have provided over $4.5 billion of investment in North Queensland," he said.

"In turnover alone there is something like 2,500 jobs depending upon Queensland Nickels' activities.

"So these are very large amounts of money and over $4 billion of exports — so a $100,000 here or there is not what matters ... what matters really is our continuing economic operations of the state."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-17/palmer-says-pup-donations-made-before-qn-finance-woes/7094020

http://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/qld/fairfax.htm

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Australian Electoral Commission records showed Queensland Nickel donated $15.2m to the Palmer United party (PUP) in the year to June 2014 and ECQ records indicated $5.9m flowed to the PUP in the year to June 2015.

Now a further filing to the ECQ, known as a “special reporting event”, has revealed the $288,516 donation. This was filed last week, with the date of the gift marked as 31 December. Queensland electoral laws require gifts of more than $100,000 to be filed with the ECQ within 14 days of the “special reporting event” threshold being reached.

The Australian Workers’ Union state secretary, Ben Swan, said Palmer should “stop ripping money out of the business to fund his political fantasies”.

“Putting his own political self-interest ahead of the interests of 240 and potentially 800 workers is just morally reprehensible,” Swan said on Sunday.

The Queensland opposition leader, Lawrence Springborg, also raised questions about the timing of the donations in light of Palmer’s requests for the state government to help the company with a loan guarantee.

[...]

Clive Mensink, who is the company’s managing director and Palmer’s nephew, defended the earlier donations that helped the PUP become an influential force in the Senate after the 2013 election.

Mensink said supporting the PUP was in the company’s interests because the party stood for the abolition of the carbon tax “which threatened to cost Queensland Nickel $24m per year”.

[...]

“Make no mistake Clive Palmer is a hero and the people of north Queensland should be happy that he intervened and put his money at risk,” Mensink said.

“Clive Palmer owns 100% of the company and no mums and dads have invested nor have the banks lent Queensland Nickel a dollar. It is Clive Palmer’s own money and courage that have supported Townsville’s community.”

http://www.theguardian.com/australi...ickel-defends-donation-to-pup-before-job-cuts

 

[Lebbo73]

You should just relax Bomberboyokay . Every worker will be paid. Your parents aren't being screwed as it is solely his company. It is the nature of the beast atm. Mining is struggling because the market has been deliberately flooded. China and the big boys are definitely manipulating the market.

 

[Ok Boomer]

sub zero

 

[Dry Rot]

You should just relax Bomberboyokay . Every worker will be paid.

Happy to stake their wages?

Palmer is a fat piece of s**t. Has good form boning workers.

**** him.

 

[pazza]

Given his performance in the Parliament itself even less than 0 - unless the locals love him.

 

[CbayT]

Qni was past its use by date it was falling down 20 years ago that's why the big miners got out of it. Its unlikely because of environmental concerns that another plant would be built. The site is highly contaminated iirc as well

 

[Borry]

He is going to bare the co sequences of a greedy businessman who also wants to be a "people's person" politician.

One Nation Mark Ii

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Qni was past its use by date it was falling down 20 years ago that's why the big miners got out of it. Its unlikely because of environmental concerns that another plant would be built. The site is highly contaminated iirc as well

I"m not across all the ins and outs but the highlighted is interesting to me.

I work in nickel in WA and I think that the only thing that's keeping us open at the moment is the multi-billion dollar liability for rehabilitation if the various mines in the business here were to be closed.

I wonder if this is something done by Palmer to avoid rehabilitation costs.

 

[Gough]

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...nery-cleanup-looms-as-environmental-test-case
Quite possibly.

 

[CbayT]

I"m not across all the ins and outs but the highlighted is interesting to me.

I work in nickel in WA and I think that the only thing that's keeping us open at the moment is the multi-billion dollar liability for rehabilitation if the various mines in the business here were to be closed.

I wonder if this is something done by Palmer to avoid rehabilitation costs.

They used to dump the ore on the beach and start processing it there. Unlike mines they don't pay bonds for cleanup.
http://www.theguardian.com/environm...nery-cleanup-looms-as-environmental-test-case

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...nery-cleanup-looms-as-environmental-test-case
Quite possibly.

Nice pick-up Gough.

Of the 3 mine sites where I'm working, one has been mined since the very early 80s and the other since the very early 90s. Figures have been bandied about for those 2 costing anywhere between $1 billion and $3 billion each to rehab. Add on a $250m redundancy liability, a $200m+ contract with a power supplier plus all the other bits and pieces and they almost can't afford to close us.

 

[Lebbo73]

It is about time you Greenies started discussing the real environmental issues instead of this CO2 crap!

 

[pazza]

It is about time you Greenies started discussing the real environmental issues instead of this CO2 crap!

Such as?

 

[Lebbo73]

Such as?

Didn't you read the posts above?

 

[pazza]

Didn't you read the posts above?

The thing is they are...take the continued work with Adani that both the Greens and GetUp are working on.

 

[CbayT]

The thing is they are...take the continued work with Adani that both the Greens and GetUp are working on.

Greens destroy jobs at what point do we make compromises

 

[Gough]

I suspect you'll find the current government has destroyed more jobs than the Greens ever could.

 

[Farm Boy]

Can someone please fill me in about the 'hysteria' surrounding Clive Palmer at the moment? I understand he shut down a business, and people are now out of work, but wasn't it his business? I don't know much about how this all works, why he is under scrutiny, I understand there is probably more to it?

 

[rodney hoo]

I suspect you'll find the current government has destroyed more jobs than the Greens ever could.

I personally think the greens would've created more jobs in the green energy field and not wasted any where near the money this government has.

 

[Gough]

Thanks to this government, the whole Libs manage the economy better myth has been put to bed once, and for all.

 

[rodney hoo]

Thanks to this government, the whole Libs manage the economy better myth has been put to bed once, and for all.

Gee I hope your right but I'm not as confident when there big end town mates come out swinging. Gough, Hawk and Keating did more for this country than any coalition government but people still rattle on about Menzies and Howard.

 

[Borry]

Can someone please fill me in about the 'hysteria' surrounding Clive Palmer at the moment? I understand he shut down a business, and people are now out of work, but wasn't it his business? I don't know much about how this all works, why he is under scrutiny, I understand there is probably more to it?

Because he is a politician who sold himself as a man for the people last election. I understand that businesses have got to do whats best for them at times, even if it means cutting human resources to survive due to the global economic downturn. But in his case, well in terms of the crap he is copping he has made his own bed.

Palmer is a classic example of how being a wealthy business owner and a politician does not mix.

 

[JoseMourinho]

Gee I hope your right but I'm not as confident when there big end town mates come out swinging. Gough, Hawk and Keating did more for this country than any coalition government but people still rattle on about Menzies and Howard.

Entire era of Hawke, Keating and Howard made Australia's Superannuation System, Australian Tax System, HECs system, Medicare System, Insurance System and Welfare System for what it is today. They were great long-term planners. They understood that change had to be made gradually and not all at once.

I quote your post because I hear constant Howard Bashing for no reason. His government was very good to Australia. He enacted some much needed reforms and made Superannuation simpler. He recognised that Medicare was unsustainable (because it is therefore it needs funding).

Current crop of politicians are a bunch of populist hacks that lack real guts to put much-needed changes in the face of adversity. They prefer the easy way out which in the short term is great but in the long term, it is absolutely terrible.

 

[Gough]

Howard sat on his arse, and pissed away a once in a lifetime boom on tax cuts to ensure his re-election. The very definition of short term thinking.