This was published 5 years ago
Palmer spends big on book while Queensland Nickel creditors go begging
Former politician Clive Palmer is oft described, with a wry smile, as a "larger than life" figure. It would also be a fitting label for his book, which extends to some 1200 glossy pages across two hardback volumes, and weighs in at a hefty 4.5 kilograms.
Hundreds of copies of the encyclopaedia landed with a thump on the desks of MPs and Parliament House journalists on Tuesday, shipped from the Gold Coast by Mr Palmer's company, Mineralogy.
Clive Palmer said he was the victim of a political witch hunt.Credit: Bradley Kanaris
The Last Sentry at the Gate: Clive Palmer and the 44th Parliament of Australia contains hundreds of colour photos of Mr Palmer in Parliament, in radio studios and on the campaign trail, along with full transcripts of his speeches, media releases and private member's bills.
One publisher estimated the cost of producing 20,000 copies of the book would be at least $200,000, including design and editing. All the while, collapsed Queensland Nickel still owe creditors and former employees about $300 million.
The book was "authorised and published by Clive Palmer, Member for Fairfax" on 8 May 2016, shortly after Mr Palmer announced he would not seek re-election to his Sunshine Coast seat.
On the phone from San Diego, where he was on business, Mr Palmer said he did not know the cost of publishing the book but it was paid for by the now-deregistered Palmer United Party. He said he had "no idea" how many copies were printed but noted the party had about 20,000 members at the time.
Copies of Clive Palmer’s book titled: ‘The Last Sentry at the Gate; Clive Palmer and the 44th Parliament of Australia’.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
The PUP was bankrolled by Queensland Nickel money to the tune of $21 million in two years. But Mr Palmer denied he wasted large sums of company money on a vanity project while hundreds of employees lost their jobs and creditors were hung out to dry.
"It’s got nothing to do with creditors because the creditors were offered to be paid," he told Fairfax Media on Tuesday.
That claim is the latest mystery in ongoing legal disputes between Mr Palmer and the liquidators mopping up the QN collapse. Mr Palmer says an affidavit submitted to the court proves he and his nephew Clive Mensink offered to pay creditors if the company's contracts were rolled over to a new entity, but the administrator FTI Consulting refused.
FTI's senior managing director John Park described Mr Palmer's version of events as "scandalous and defamatory". He told creditors FTI refused to accept Mr Mensink, "now a known fugitive", would pay the company's debts.
Asked why his alleged offer to pay creditors had only come to light now - more than two years later - Mr Palmer told Fairfax Media: "We did say it at the time but the press didn’t report it because they were biased, concentrating on fake news."
Mr Palmer also claims to be the victim of a "political witch hunt" and a conspiracy between the federal government and the corporate regulator ASIC. He is counter-suing FTI, the general purpose liquidator of QN, and the government's special purpose liquidator PPB Advisory, for $1.8 billion.
Federal MPs were sent two copies of Mr Palmer's book, in which he identifies himself as a professor and takes credit for ousting Julia Gillard, Joe Hockey, Tony Abbott and Bronwyn Bishop. Mr Palmer claimed copies "were only distributed to people who wanted them", however, Fairfax Media received about 20 unsolicited copies addressed to individual journalists, as did other outlets.
Earlier this month, Mr Palmer reportedly joined family on a luxury Mediterranean cruise aboard the Norwegian Epic. On Tuesday he told Fairfax Media this was not true however, News Corp published photographs of him in Naples at the time.
The mining magnate has also erected numerous billboards around the country featuring himself and the slogan "Make Australia Great", a derivative of US President Donald Trump's campaign slogan. He said any resurrection of the deregistered PUP would be "up to the executive of the party", but would not name any members.
Mr Palmer is due back in court next month to face ASIC charges of aiding and abetting, an offence in relation to a 2012 takeover bid involving his mothballed Palmer Coolum Resort. He referred some of Fairfax Media's questions to his adviser Andrew Crook, who did not return calls.