Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au

Aaron Bunch
Palmer cops a roasting at QN trial

Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer will be hoping for a better day in court after copping a dressing down at the Queensland Nickel collapse trial.

July 26, 2019

Clive Palmer will be hoping for a better day in court when the Queensland Nickel collapse trial resumes.

The billionaire businessman is fighting a massive lawsuit in the Brisbane Supreme Court against liquidators following the Townsville refinery’s demise.

They’re chasing the mining magnate for about $200 million they say was owed to creditors when QN was shut down by administrators in early 2016.

But the court battle has been overshadowed on several occasions when Justice Debra Mullins roasted Mr Palmer for his courtroom antics.

On Thursday, the former federal MP was rebuked for his written submissions to the court.

Justice Mullins says they showed the mining magnate had been assisted by a lawyer.

She suggested Mr Palmer clearly label any future submissions with the name of the lawyer who helps him.

“Otherwise, it’s a little misleading to emphasise your self represented litigant status when it appears to me there has been some assistance from lawyers in your submissions,” she said.

“I think it should be a bit more transparent.”

It followed an earlier tongue lashing of the entire Palmer camp for their tardy efforts finding a replacement expert insolvency witness after their first pick pulled out days before the trial began.

“One of the things I am disappointed about Mr Palmer is that the defendants don’t seem to have got Mr Hughes’ (the new expert) firm to act with urgency,” Justice Mullins said after learning the witness was in Brazil and wouldn’t be available to begin work until next week.

“I mean, you’re in the middle of a trial … somehow, the expert has got to be shown he can’t have a leisurely approach to this.”

The trial continues on Friday.

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