Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer has arrived in court to defend a $200 million lawsuit against him over the collapse of Queensland Nickel.

July 15, 2019

It’s taken 1179 days, three judges and countless adjournments, but Clive Palmer has arrived in court to face trial over the collapse of Queensland Nickel.

Mr Palmer will defend a massive federal government lawsuit against him and nephew Clive Mensink over the liquidation of his Townsville nickel refinery which left hundreds without a job.

Government-appointed liquidators of QN have brought the billionaire businessman to Brisbane Supreme Court as they try to claw back about $200 million owed to creditors over the collapse in early 2016.

A 280-page claim, first lodged in the court in June 2017, names 21 defendants, including Mr Mensink and a string of Mr Palmer’s companies.

The special purpose liquidators’ task includes trying to recover almost $70 million in taxpayer funds used to cover unpaid entitlements to about 800 workers sacked from the refinery.

Mr Palmer has fought hard to have the claim dismissed over the past two years, having described it as baseless and a desperate politically motivated attack by the government.

That fight will continue on Monday when the United Australia Party leader will launch a last-minute legal bid to delay the start of the trial, The Australian newspaper has reported.

The former federal MP’s key expert defence witness is reportedly “incapacitated”, court documents lodged on Thursday say.

Mr Palmer is representing himself during the trial.

It is expected to run for 45 days before Justice Debra Mullins, who took over proceedings after Justices John Bond and David Jackson recused themselves.