Palmer says take it on faith he won’t quarantine his assets
CLIVE Palmer has namedropped Pope Benedict XVI and pop star Guy Sebastian while spruiking his Christian sensibilities ahead of a hearing today to freeze $ 200 million of his assets.
In arguing his strong ties to the Queensland community, Mr Palmer said in a Supreme Court affidavit he was a committed Catholic who sponsored Sebastian’s theme song for World Youth Day in 2008, when he met the Pope.
He also claims he sacked his globetrotting nephew Clive Mensink as director of Queensland Nickel when it became clear he would not return to Australia.
The embattled former federal politician is defending a bid by the taxpayer- funded liquidators of his company Queensland Nickel to freeze his assets amid a massive lawsuit to claw back millions of dollars in debts.
In an affidavit filed yesterday, Mr Palmer hit out at allegations he would put his assets beyond the reach of liquidators and pointed to his “strong community ties” and Catholicism.
“As a committed Catholic I was able to sponsor the production and recording of the theme song for World Youth Day recorded by Guy Sebastian,” he wrote.
“In 2008 ... I attended World Youth Day held in Sydney, and personally met Pope Benedict XVII ( sic).”
Mr Palmer said he and his late first wife supported the Church of St Ignatius at Toowong for decades.
Supreme Court Justice John Bond will hear the application to freeze Mr Palmer’s assets in Brisbane today.