Those rejections came in a quick-fire series of meetings in the middle of September previous year, but Mr Palmer previously told the court he met with Mr Turnbull about QNI in October, after which he formed the view federal and state governments were “determined to put Queensland Nickel out of business”.
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Special-purpose liquidators have been questioning Mr Palmer and other QNI executives about their role in the company’s operations and what they knew about its financial problems.
“To have a shortfall of $14 million in a month or a week is hardly systemic”, he said.
Clive Palmer – former federal MP, mining magnate, billionaire.
The court heard Mr Palmer received a copy of the report detailing savings and workers entitlements for up to 250 employees but he denied making the eventual decision.
On Thursday Mr Palmer told the court the joint venture behind QN could have paid off its “trivial debt” but wanted to see if the company could stand on its own two feet.
It’s understood Mr Palmer filed the challenge to the “constitutionality” of the process now underway in the Federal Court, which has already heard from other key players of the doomed nickel business.
Mr Palmer said he took the view the joint ventures’ $1.95 billion assets offered to the big four banks should have been sufficient.
About 800 workers at Queensland Nickel’s Townsville refinery lost their jobs when the company went into liquidation earlier this year.
“Everyone said the NAB was baddies and we should put it on the record regardless of what Turnbull and (Queensland Premier Annastacia) Palaszczuk wanted to do to us”, he said.
Special goal liquidators are trying to prove whether Mr Palmer was acting as a shadow director and if the company was trading while insolvent.
Mr Palmer is seeking to stop liquidators from calling him back to the Federal Court for re-examination about the company’s collapse.
By about this time, Queensland Nickel managers were discussing potential redundancies at the plant, which eventually led to the sacking of 200 workers in January.
The matter will be heard in early November.
“It clearly indicated something amusing was going on when you have that kind of security and the banks don’t offer you a loan”, Mr Palmer said.
Mr Palmer’s lawyer told the High Court the application was not aimed at stopping liquidators from questioning his client this week, but to prevent them calling him back to court at a later date.
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The hearing continues on Friday.
