Clive rules out selling assets in a fire sale

CLIVE Palmer denies he is planning a “fire sale” as the Federal Government pursues him for almost $70 million in taxpayers’ money it used to pay out sacked Queensland Nickel workers.

The former MP will return to court later this month in a bid to stop special purpose liquidators from freezing almost $220 million of his personal assets.

“I wouldn’t sell anything in a fire sale, I didn’t become one of the wealthiest people in Australia by selling things cheap,” Mr Palmer said.

Court documents filed in the Brisbane Supreme Court show liquidators are seeking to stop Mr Palmer from disposing or diminishing the value of almost $220 million of his personal assets.

A freezing order is also sought against QNI Metal for about $50 million, QNI Resources for $200 million, Mineralogy for $16 million and several other companies connected to Mr Palmer.

Mr Palmer said he was “not concerned at all” about the possible freeze, which will be argued before Justice John Bond on August 23.

Mr Palmer had argued in court that the application should not go ahead without personally serving documents on his nephew Clive Mensink, who is a defendant.

Mr Mensink, who was director of QN when the company collapsed leaving 800 refinery workers out of a job, departed Australia in June 2016 and is now subject of an outstanding arrest warrant.

Justice Bond said it was likely Mr Mensink would eventually make contact with either his lawyer, secretary or Mr Palmer while he was “swanning around the world”.

Outside court, Mr Palmer touted his potential to fight.

“This is just the sort of thing that tempts you to go back into politics,” Mr Palmer said. “I’m Clive Palmer, I’m a living national treasure.”