Category Archives: Clive Palmer

Clive Palmer banks on Swiss strategy after court throws out $305bn mine compensation claim

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Queensland mining magnate had been ordered to pay $13m after tribunal dismissed claim of being a ‘foreign investor’

Clive Palmer says he will challenge the decision of an international tribunal to dismiss his claim for $305bn in compensation from the commonwealth government, by appealing to a court in Switzerland.

On Saturday the attorney general, Michelle Rowland, announced that the permanent court of arbitration, in The Hague, the Netherlands, had ruled against the Queensland mining magnate.

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Clive Palmer ordered to pay $13m after claim of being ‘foreign investor’ in Australian mining project thrown out

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Attorney general says mining magnate is ‘not a foreign investor’ and is ‘not entitled to any benefits under Australia’s free trade and investment agreements’

The Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer has been ordered to pay more than $13m after his claim of being a “foreign investor” was dismissed by an international tribunal after a dispute lasting more than a decade.

The permanent court of arbitration, established by international treaties, rejected Palmer’s claim as it had no jurisdiction over the dispute between a national government and one of its citizens, the attorney general, Michelle Rowland, said on Saturday.

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Labor far outspends Coalition and Clive Palmer on Google and Meta ads amid calls for change to blackout laws

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Analysis of online ad data shows parties and affiliated groups spent more than $39m for political ads across Facebook, YouTube and Google search since 28 March

Labor splurged more than $11m across Google and Meta platforms to win votes, far surpassing its opponents – including billionaire Clive Palmer – and outstripping political foes in key seats in the lead-up to polling day.

New data showed the major parties have poured cash into boosting targeted messages to social media users in tightly contested electorates, including marginal seats in Bennelong, Brisbane, Boothby, Blair and Bullwinkel.

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Who is H Fong, the man authorising the flurry of annoying Trumpet of Patriots text messages in Australia?

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Unsolicited texts authorised by Harry Fong, a Senate candidate for Queensland and ‘highly respected barrister’ who befriended Clive Palmer in 1970s

Australians have been infuriated this election cycle, yet again, by a deluge of unsolicited text messages from a political party associated with Clive Palmer.

“You don’t need to be welcomed to your own country, 3% home loans Vote 1 Trumpet of Patriots,” some of the texts read.

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Trumpet of Patriots faithful told Australia needs ‘many’ Trump-like policies as Clive Palmer launches campaign

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Billionaire tells crowd of 400 that ‘uni-party’ of Labor and Coalition are ‘dumb and dumber’ as hats with ‘Make Australia Great Again’ slogan given out

Billionaire Clive Palmer has made his pitch to party faithfuls after launching the Trumpet of Patriots campaign at his own resort.

Palmer hopes his Trumpet of Patriots can bring “common sense” back to Australian politics after launching the party’s campaign in front of a strong crowd at his resort.

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Politics is Clive Palmer’s ‘golf’ – and he’ll keep pouring money into it as long as his wife will let him

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Mercurial mining magnate answers questions at the National Press Club through Tim Tams, telling journalists: ‘It’s my money. If I lose it, I lose it’

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Clive Palmer faced a conundrum in Canberra on Thursday: whether to answer a question on China and Taiwan from one of the press gallery’s most esteemed journalists, or swallow the chunk of chocolate biscuit he’d just bitten into.

In the end, he did both, telling Andrew Probyn from Nine News that “once the American commitment goes, Taiwan wouldn’t be able to defend itself” through a mouthful of Tim Tam.

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Staff at the Age protest over Trumpet of Patriots gender ad as Newcastle Herald apologises for running it

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Australian Community Media, publisher of the Newcastle Herald, removes ad promoting Clive Palmer’s party from digital edition, saying it does not meet the company’s values

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The Newcastle Herald has apologised for publishing a front page ad from Clive Palmer’s new Trumpet of Patriots party which says “there are only two genders”, as journalists at the Age say they are “furious” the Melbourne newspaper has apparently accepted the same ad for publication.

In the past week the Age has published Palmer’s anti-immigration and anti-welcome to country advertisements, which have also appeared in News Corp publications.

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Labor and Liberals will get double their public funding if ‘biased’ electoral rules are passed, Climate 200 says

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ALP denies reforms rushed into parliament are designed to target Simon Holmes à Court and Clive Palmer

Australia’s two major political parties will more than double their public funding at the 2028 federal election to reap a combined $140m under the government’s proposed changes to electoral laws, according to the organisation which funded successful teal independent candidates at the 2022 election.

Climate 200 has calculated the likely increase in the amount the Labor and Liberal parties could claim in public funding at the 2028 election, after the proposed new system is slated to take effect.

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Clive Palmer-scale political donations to be blocked under new electoral spending caps

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Candidates to receive $5 per vote from public funding, while parties and independents will receive $30,000 per MP and $15,000 per senator each

Donation and electoral spending caps could pass parliament as early as this fortnight, with Labor confident the Coalition will help it block campaigns of the size run by Clive Palmer at the national level and teal independents at the local level.

But the bill, to be introduced next week, could spark outrage from independents, emerging and minor parties, with plans to increase public funding of elections from $3.35 a vote to $5.

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New Zealand to be briefed on Aukus – as it happened

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This blog is now closed.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking to ABC RN, and says news that the inflation rate has plunged to a two-year low of 4.1% is “welcoming, encouraging progress”.

… We know that people are still under pressure and we need to not be complacent about it. We need to continue to work as we have with our three point plan, having the surplus, making sure we deal with cost of living pressures without putting pressure on inflation, and dealing with … supply-chain issues as well.

With parliament resuming next week, this is a wake-up call that 2024 is the last chance for meaningful democratic reform ahead of the 2025 election …

Australians should go to the next election with strict political donation disclosure laws, truth in political advertising laws in force and information about who’s meeting ministers made public as a matter of course.

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Clive Palmer to launch million-dollar ad blitz for no vote in voice referendum

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United Australia party leader to especially target South Australia and Tasmania in reported $2m national campaign over fortnight up to 14 October poll

The campaign against the voice will be supported by millions of dollars from mining magnate Clive Palmer, who will reportedly launch an ad blitz against the referendum in the final fortnight.

Both the yes and no campaigns are preparing for a final sprint to the 14 October polling day, with major ad buys to target key states in the referendum.

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Former Asic head accuses government of failing him during ‘abusive advertising campaign’

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Former corporate watchdog chair James Shipton tells Senate inquiry of attacks on his character, competence and integrity

The former head of Australia’s corporate watchdog has described feeling suicidal after an “abusive advertising campaign” waged against him, accusing the government of failing to support him.

A Senate committee is examining the ability of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) to investigate allegations of corporate misconduct and to undertake enforcement action.

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Clive Palmer’s company plans to sue Australia in fresh claim, budget papers reveal

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Exclusive: Palmer’s Zeph Investments could receive compensation if successful in second and potential third dispute beyond existing $296bn case

Clive Palmer’s company Zeph Investments has given notice it intends to sue Australia in a fresh case in addition to the existing $296bn investor-state claim, with a potential third claim in the works.

The two new prospective investor-state claims are revealed in budget papers, released on Tuesday, as contingent liabilities that could cost the budget bottom line.

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Clive Palmer’s coal company seeks to overturn ruling that Queensland mine will harm future generations

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Waratah Coal lodges application to overturn recommendation that lease and approvals be refused

A company owned by Clive Palmer is seeking to overturn a landmark ruling that found its plans to dig Australia’s largest thermal coalmine in central Queensland would infringe upon the human rights of future generations and exacerbate the climate crisis.

The coalition that first brought the case court – led by young First Nations women and environmentalists – is vowing to defend last month’s ruling, which they describe as “the most significant decision on climate change and human rights in Australia”.

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Clive Palmer fails in supreme court bid to stop criminal charges proceeding

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Mining magnate and his company Palmer Leisure Coolum were charged by commonwealth director of public prosecutions for alleged takeover law breaches

Mining magnate Clive Palmer has failed in a supreme court bid to stop criminal charges proceeding against him.

Palmer lost the latest round in his legal fight against the corporate watchdog and regulator after being hit with charges on two fronts.

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‘Completely laughable’: claims that a mine will create ‘more jobs per hectare’ than the Great Barrier Reef derided

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Clive Palmer’s Central Queensland Coal suggested proposed coalmine is a ‘greater economic powerhouse’

Claims that Clive Palmer’s proposed Central Queensland coalmine would help the Great Barrier Reef – and would generate “more jobs per hectare” – have been derided as “completely laughable” by an environmentalist, economist and First Nations people.

Earlier this month environment minister Tanya Plibersek said she intended to block the coalmine due to its “unacceptable impacts” on the reef world heritage area, which is 10km from the two proposed open cut mines.

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Clive Palmer ordered to pay part of Mark McGowan’s legal costs after defamation battle

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Billionaire’s costs will not similarly be paid by WA premier, as judge finds ‘asymmetry of responsibility’ for ‘long and costly’ case

Clive Palmer has been ordered to pay part of Mark McGowan’s legal costs while the Western Australian premier will pay none of the billionaire’s, despite the federal court finding they both defamed each other.

On Thursday, Justice Michael Lee found there was an “asymmetry of responsibility” for the “long and costly” hearing of the case, because Palmer launched proceedings but only McGowan “was willing to draw back” by offering to drop the case in December 2021.

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Clive Palmer’s massive advertising spend fails to translate into election success for United Australia party

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UAP vote increases slightly to around 4.7% but was exceeded by the One Nation vote

Clive Palmer’s mammoth campaign spend of close to $100m has failed to deliver his party results, with its primary vote failing to reach 5% across the country.

In both regional and metropolitan areas, the United Australia vote increased slightly to about 4.7%, and was strongest in Queensland where it polled close to 6%.

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United Australia Party may have more backing than polls suggest, with voters too embarrassed to voice support, analysis shows

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Hour-long TV ads on commercial networks aired before media blackout as part of fringe party’s projected $70m 2022 federal election campaign spend

Clive Palmer’s United Australia party is burning through its projected $70m election advertising spend, including hour-long television commercials, as a data analyst warns the fringe party could have more backing than polls predict, with some voters embarrassed to voice their support.

At 9.45pm on Wednesday – hours before the blackout for election ads on broadcast media came into effect – Channel 10 ran an hour-long UAP ad which marketing analysts believe cost up to $600k but would have been discounted due to the mammoth ad spend by the party.

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How Clive Palmer’s deep pockets are building a yellow, slick road straight through One Nation’s heartland

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Analysis: UAP has bought every available billboard space, and has signs on dusty dirt roads in the middle of nowhere

Take a wrong turn on the back roads through central Queensland, about 40km from Banana (population 354), and the road turns to gravel. A few clicks further on, over a couple of cattle grids, there’s a bright yellow United Australia party sign – but not another driver to see it for miles.

This particular spot is close to smack bang in the middle of the 133,000 sq km electorate of Flynn.

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