- The Queensland Supreme Court has overturned a previous decision relating to Clive Palmer’s lawsuit against the Western Australian Government
- The mining magnate sued WA’s Government for $30 billion in compensation, after being refused entry through the state’s hard border
- Palmer’s lawsuit also reportedly related to the Government barring him from developing the Balmoral South iron ore project in 2012
- WA’s Attorney-General has stated that Palmer’s long-running case is “dead as a doormat” after this latest ruling
- However, Palmer is still free to challenge WA in the High Court, which he has indicated that he will do
The Queensland Supreme Court has overturned a previous decision relating to Clive Palmer’s lawsuit against the Western Australian Government.
For several months, Clive Palmer has repeatedly criticised WA and its Government for its hard border policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
WA’s hard state border and firm internal lockdown has been lauded by some as being extremely effective at flattening the curve, allowing the state to quickly return to some degree of normality. However, Palmer labelled the closing of the borders as “unconstitutional”, soon earning himself the ire and derision of the Western Australian public.
While the conflict between the mining magnate and Australia’s largest state began as a war of words, it soon devolved into a legal battle after Palmer filed a legal challenge against WA’s Government.
Palmer sued the state’s Government for a whopping $30 billion in compensation, after he was refused entry into WA. The lawsuit also reportedly related to the Government’s initial decision to bar Palmer from developing the Balmoral South iron ore project in the Pilbara region, in 2012.
After WA’s parliament passed emergency legislation to terminate Palmer’s claim earlier this year, Palmer won a ruling that disputed whether WA legislation could overturn a court ruling in another state.
However, Queensland’s Supreme Court has now overturned that ruling, dealing a blow to Palmer’s ongoing crusade against WA. WA Attorney-General John Quigley, called the ruling a big win for Australia’s largest state, stating that it had considerably weakened Palmer’s case.
“It is dead, dead as a doormat”, he said.
“I am so relieved, and all Western Australians should be so relieved that we’ve had another massive win over this Mr Palmer,” he added.
Despite the Attorney-General’s comments, Palmer is still free to challenge WA in the High Court, which he has indicated that he will do.