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A pending High Court challenge had caused a stunning backflip on border closures by the Queensland Premier, Clive Palmer said in Brisbane today.

“The Queensland Premier has now said that instead of September, she will be looking at reopening the state borders to the rest of Australia in July,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“I welcome this necessary move but it’s only happening because of the legal proceedings I have undertaken as a result of the damages she and her government have caused to hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders.”

The comments come as Mr Palmer’s High Court challenge moves towards a full bench hearing.

At a directions hearing conducted before Her Honour Chief Justice Kiefel on Thursday, Her Honour indicated that if the parties were able to ready the matter for hearing, the Court was available to hear the matter in early July 2020.

Her Honour made directions for the parties to exchange further documents and for a further directions hearing on 10 June 2020 to check progress on the matter at which time it is expected that any orders setting the matter down for hearing would be made.

“The Premier knows her goose is cooked and will make her announcement about the borders re-opening just before the High Court hearing.

“The Premier is controlled by unions. She has seen what they have done to Jackie Trad and she is worried the same may happen to her, so she bows to their every demand while the Queensland economy and way of life suffers.

“This Queensland Government is run by faceless unionists,’’ Mr Palmer said.

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The leader of Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party has urged One Nation senator Pauline Hanson to stop with the shallow words over Queensland borders.

“I have lodged a fully funded action with the High Court challenging both the WA and Queensland border closures as unconstitutional.

“This matter will cost in the order of $1 million, a far cry from the $17,000 Pauline Hanson has scraped together through crowdfunding,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Our challenge does not need her support, which is only confusing the issue and wasting the court’s time.”

The comments come as Mr Palmer’s High Court challenge moves towards a full bench hearing.

At a directions hearing conducted before Her Honour Chief Justice Kiefel on Thursday, Her Honour indicated that if the parties were able to ready the matter for hearing, the Court was available to hear the matter in early July 2020.

Her Honour made directions for the parties to exchange further documents and for a further directions hearing on 10 June 2020 to check progress on the matter at which time it is expected that any orders setting the matter down for hearing would be made.

Mr Palmer said it was clear that WA Premier Mark McGowan and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk needed to act immediately to open up their respective state borders to restore jobs and economic confidence.

“Both Labor premiers need to act swiftly and decisively to ensure a successful future beyond COVID-19 by opening their borders to trade and travel from other Australian states.

“The WA and Queensland economies must keep growing and moving forward especially during the COVID-19 downturn. This is crucial for the survival of the domestic economy and for the whole of Australia,’’ he said.

“Pauline Hanson needs the High Court to hear the matter before it and not divert attention to herself for political gain,’’ Mr Palmer said.

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Clive Palmer has announced Queensland would now be included along with WA in the High Court challenge over domestic border closures in this afternoon’s directions hearing in Brisbane.

“Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her Government will be included in my instructions regarding the High Court challenge this afternoon,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“I am duty bound to show solidarity towards and do whatever is in my power to help those who are now unemployed and have businesses that have been adversely affected.

“At this historical time there are thousands of Australians in need of rest and recovery.

“Queensland is at the top of the holiday wish list in Australia and it is an injustice that the borders are not open.

“There are over 30,000 people unemployed on the Gold Coast alone. We are seeing devastation across the state as a result of economic downturn,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Opening the borders in Queensland will provide the boost needed to return jobs and prosperity to this state.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk is discriminating against her own people by locking away the fruits of Queensland such as the Great Barrier Reef and other treasures from interstate visitors.

“History tells us he who stops to ponder the past, loses sight of the future.

“Queensland cannot wait any longer, we need action now.

“This is why my lawyers have been instructed to include Queensland in the High Court challenge this afternoon,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“It is a matter of national importance that the borders be open.”

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Clive Palmer confirmed today a directions hearing was scheduled for 2.15pm today (Thurs, May 28)  in Brisbane regarding his High Court challenge over the domestic border closure in Western Australia.

It follows the filing of documents with the High Court on Monday, challenging the WA Government’s closure of its state border to trade and travel movements as unconstitutional.

Mr Palmer’s legal team will comprise the former solicitor general for Queensland, Peter Dunning QC; Sydney commercial barrister Richard Scheelings; Perth barrister Peter Ward and Queensland solicitor Jonathan Shaw.

Mr Palmer said the purpose of the hearing was to obtain directions so that relevant documents and submissions are filed by June 26 so that the matter can be heard by the full court of the HCA as soon as practicable after that date.

“There is no time to waste in getting people back to work and building prosperity for the state,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Closing down the border is not only an act of stupidity by WA Premier Mark McGowan, but I believe that it is against the Australian constitution and I am confident the High Court will see it that way as well.”

“The WA Premier needs to act now to ensure a successful future beyond COVID-19 by opening his borders to allow trade and travel from Australian states into WA,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“The WA economy must keep growing and moving forward especially during the COVID-19 downturn. This is crucial for the survival of the domestic economy and for the whole of Australia.

“It is a matter of national importance that the borders be open.”

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The leader of Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party has blasted One Nation senator Pauline Hanson for her ‘Claytons” High Court challenge to Queensland’s border closures.

Mr Palmer himself this week lodged documents with the High Court, declaring the similar border closure of Western Australia as unconstitutional which he will be viewing as a test case for pursuing similar action in Queensland.

“My intentions are very clear when it comes to fighting these closures and doing what I can to rebuild jobs and prosperity in Queensland,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Actions speak louder than words.

“Senator Hanson is crowd funding her campaign and will be lucky to raise enough to pay a QC for one hour.

“She is on a generous $200,000-plus salary per year, on top of numerous other incentives. She should do it offer her own bat.

“Queenslanders deserve better than this meaningless publicity stunt,’’ Mr Palmer said.

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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk must act in the best interests of her state and backflip on border closures, Clive Palmer said today.

The leader of Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party said Ms Palaszczuk was running faster than a Melbourne Cup favourite as more and more Queenslanders called for an opening of borders to allow the flow of trade and travel from other Australian states.

This week Mr Palmer lodged documents with the High Court, declaring the similar border closure of Western Australia as unconstitutional and said he would be viewing this as a test case for pursuing similar action in Queensland.

“By maintaining a lock down and closed borders, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has condemned nearly a million Queenslanders to financial ruin, unemployment, stress and family break-up,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“There is no time to waste with the winter school holiday break on our doorstep, where an influx of southern visitors could be the saviour for so many Queensland businesses on the brink of closing their doors forever.

“Queenslanders need certainty. Australia’s deputy chief medical officer and leading expert on infectious diseases, Professor Paul Kelly, says it’s safe to open the domestic borders yet Annastacia Palaszczuk thinks she knows better.

“There are no health issues that justify the continued destruction of Queensland. The Premier needs to respond in the best interests of her fellow Queenslanders by reopening the borders immediately,’’ Mr Palmer said.

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Clive Palmer announced today he would be lodging documents with the High Court on Monday, declaring the border closure of Western Australia is unconstitutional.

“There is no time to waste in getting people back to work and building prosperity for the state,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Closing down the border is not only an act of stupidity by WA Premier Mark McGowan, but it is against the Australian constitution and I am confident the High Court will see it that way as well.”

“The WA Premier needs to act now to ensure a successful future beyond COVID-19 by opening his borders to allow trade and travel from Australian states into WA,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“The WA economy must keep growing and moving forward especially during the COVID-19 downturn. This is crucial for the survival of the domestic economy and for the whole of Australia.

“It is a matter of national importance that the borders be open.”

Mr Palmer said he was hopeful of a directions hearing from the High Court by the end of the week.

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Premier Mark McGowan was denying Western Australians jobs and prosperity by refusing to open the state’s borders to the rest of the country, Clive Palmer said today

“The WA Premier needed to act now to ensure a successful future beyond COVID-19 by opening his borders to allow trade and other movements from Australian states into WA,’’ Mr Palmer said.

As a major investor in WA, Clive Palmer said he was concerned that he was being restricted from markets where he could continue to create jobs and prosperity.

“I have made my intentions clear that I wish to invest heavily in WA with the vast monies earned from my iron ore project in the Pilbara,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Premier McGowan needs to question where his loyalties lie. He appears more concerned with allowing the free movement of overseas Chinese workers entering WA than bolstering the local economy.

“An increase of workers from mainland China entering WA indicates his support,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“Premier McGowan’s popularity will decline if he continues to put himself and his self-interests before that of WA. He risks economic shutdown with his gestapo tactics.”

“The WA economy must keep growing and moving forward especially during the COVID-19 shutdown and before JobKeeper ends. This is crucial for the survival of the domestic economy and for the whole of Australia.

Clive Palmer has unveiled plans to set up an investment bank that would focus on projects in the resource-rich state where he is earning hundreds of millions of dollars a year in royalties from Chinese conglomerate CITIC.

Mr Palmer said he would look to bankroll large scale resources and technology projects for Australian companies with an emphasis on WA.

“We think there’s a social obligation to put something back into WA and we also think there are good business opportunities here that Australians are losing out on,” he said.

Mr Palmer said his company Mineralogy would look at mezzanine funding, cornerstone investments, joint ventures and buy outs as part of its push into WA, where he has purchased a riverside home and is spending more and more time.

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With JobKeeper payments expiring shortly and Queensland maintaining lock down and closed borders, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had condemned nearly a million Queenslanders to financial ruin, unemployment, stress and family break-up, Clive Palmer said in Brisbane today.

“Queensland is not going to open until September. What does she expect families to do?” the leader of Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party said.

“It’s alright for the Premier, she is on a huge taxpayer-funded salary, but what about the average person.

“The Labor Party is a heartless institution that has destroyed our state” Mr Palmer said.

“While the rest of Australia has opened its borders, the Queensland government is stopping people visiting the state and condemning Queensland’s tourism industry.

“Australians want holidays now and they want to come to Queensland. Queensland must be in a position to fulfill that need or lose the market and jobs forever.

“It’s ironic that after running the state debt up to nearly a hundred billion dollars by employing her mates, one minute she wants to buy Virgin Australia and the next minute she wants to keep Queensland closed,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“I would advise her not to buy Virgin in any event but she would further destroy the airline by locking down Queensland’s borders.

“I just don’t know how she expects people and the economy to survive. Is the Queensland Government going to continue JobKeeper?

“There are no health issues that justify the continued destruction of Queensland as the Premier well knows.

“She is forever seeking approval but she and her government will pay at the polls later this year for the economic ruin she brought upon Queensland families,’’ Mr Palmer said.

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Clive Palmer has labelled the Queensland Government’s bid to buy a stake in Virgin Australia as nothing more than political grandstanding.

The leader of Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party has slammed the idea, saying that if the Queensland Labor Government was serious about jobs it should allow Queensland Nickel access to the Port of Townsville.

“How could this government run an airline when it has done such a terrible job running Queensland?” Mr Palmer said.

“This is nothing more than political grandstanding,’’ he said.

“If the Palaszczuk Government really cared about jobs and a strong economic future for Queenslanders, there are as many as 3000 jobs ready to go with the reopening of Queensland Nickel, which would cost her nothing,” Mr Palmer said.

Mr Palmer said Queensland Nickel was only seeking from the Port Authority the same terms and conditions for a new lease that had been successfully operating for 20 years previously.

“The Queensland Labor government refuses to allow access to the port it owns and controls while the people of North Queensland suffer,’’ Mr Palmer said.

“This government doesn’t care about the people it represents. It doesn’t care about the thousands of jobs that could be created and it doesn’t care about the businesses that are going under without the economic stimulus that the refinery would provide the region.

“Labor needs to exercise its authority to approve all terms and conditions to renew the port leases and create real jobs, instead of grandstanding about buying airlines,” Mr Palmer said.

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