Clive Palmer brushes off Queensland corruption claims

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/07/clive-palmer-brushes-off-queensland-corruption-claims

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Clive Palmer isn't worried about corruption allegations against him and says Queensland's premier should be thrown in jail for failing to report them.

Deputy premier Jeff Seeney has referred Palmer to the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) over allegedly dodgy approaches by the mining magnate to buy political support.He alleges Palmer sought special treatment for his western Queensland mining investments shortly after the LNP's landslide victory in 2012.Seeney says police and the CMC weren't told about the corruption allegations at the time, but Premier Campbell Newman was.Palmer believes he has done nothing wrong and says Newman and Seeney should have reported the allegations sooner if they were concerned."The premier was supposed to be the tier law officer of the state," Palmer said on Saturday. "And if the premier heard this [allegation] he had an obligation to report it to the police, the CMC."The fact that he hasn't done so means that he has committed a criminal offence as well and should be thrown in jail, and this is not the end of things."

Seeney referred Palmer to the CMC on Friday after airing the allegations on ABC's 7.30 Queensland program.

He denied reading a bill concerning activity in the Galilee Basin, allegedly drafted by Palmer, who has significant interests in the area.He said he didn't read it because he rejected Palmer's approaches immediately.The interview came after Seeney intensified his attack on Palmer in parliament, accusing him of buying state MPs.Seeney, who had previously used parliamentary privilege to call Palmer a crook, said the mining magnate bought LNP defectors Alex Douglas and Carl Judge in 2012 to start his own party.Newman has also accused the mining magnate of trying to buy his government, allegations which will see the pair square off in court.