Clive Palmer has launched a pre-emptive tirade against a Four Corners investigation into his business affairs, calling on the program to “Give Clive Palmer a Fair Go”.
In an attempt to pre-empt the national broadcaster’s program on Monday evening, the embattled MP issued a series of comments on Facebook and Twitter that said the program contained errors and “will cause substantial damage” to him.
On #4Corners, politicians, former colleagues & employees speak out, many for the first time, about Clive #Palmer. pic.twitter.com/5QVs5FXq3o
— 4corners (@4corners) April 10, 2016
“The program contains a number of factual errors and if broadcast will cause substantial damage to Mr Palmer. Four Corners needs to be corrected,” he said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“In relation to Queensland Nickel Pty Ltd, the facts are that Queensland Nickel has never given loans to Mr Palmer or his companies. Any reports to the contrary are false and have been written to cause malicious damage.”
#FourCorners contains a number of factual errors & if broadcast will cause substantial damage to me. #FourCorners needs to be corrected.
— Clive Palmer (@CliveFPalmer) April 10, 2016
Although the precise focus of the program is unclear, Palmer’s comments indicate he may face some scrutiny over his handling of the Queensland Nickel refinery. The Four Corners website says that the program “charts the rise and fall of the mercurial Clive Palmer, examining how he made his money, friends and bitter enemies along the way”.
One of Palmer’s key criticisms appears to be focused around Four Corners declining his offer of a live interview after it made requests to interview him, claiming it was a “denial of the public’s right to know”.
But Four Corners does not air live interviews for its investigations. Executive producer Sally Neighbour and ABC reporter Hayden Cooper, who led the Four Corners report, said on Twitter they had given Palmer ample opportunity to comment.
4Corners was very keen to interview you @CliveFPalmer @PalmerUtdParty but as you know we don't do live IVs. #4corners #Palmer #auspol
— Sally Neighbour (@neighbour_s) April 9, 2016
The program website said that Cooper has spoken to former colleagues of Palmer and some of the workers sacked at the Queensland Nickel refinery.
We also spent 2 months trying to convince Clive Palmer to do an interview for this story. He declined. Tune in. https://t.co/vo86TUOdeS
— Hayden Cooper (@haydencooper) April 10, 2016
