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Mr Palmer, speaking to Ms Ferguson from Queenstown in New Zealand where he was on a skiing holiday, began the interview discussing his party’s last minute turn around in the Senate yesterday over the proposed repeal of the Carbon Tax but baulked when attention turned to a matter that is now the subject of legal proceedings.
When asked to repeat comments he made earlier in the week suggesting money from a port account paid in by his Chinese business partners had been used to pay for a political campaign run by the management firm Media Circus Network, Mr Palmer became upset.
“Everything you’ve just said is not true,” he said. “This is just a beat up by the Chinese that don’t want to pay for our iron ore, they want to take over our ports, uses their lobbyists, flash their money around because they’re a state-owned company and subvert Australian democracy.”
“There are no cases against me, there are no proceedings against me. There’s no suggestion I’ve done anything wrong,” he said. “Don’t talk to me about allegations and bullsh*t… I’m not discussing it any further with you Madame …it’s subject to court proceedings — we’re suing them for $600 million…I’m not answering any more for you so goodbye, we’ll see you later.”
The interview ended with Mr Palmer removing his earpiece and walking off camera.
The incident underlined a tumultuous week for the mining magnate who now holds the balance of power in the Senate. His party campaigned at the last election to end the carbon tax yet used his party’s numbers in the senate to derail the government’s attempts to repeal the law.
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