Unpaid entitlements that Clive Palmer promised to pay workers laid off from his Townsville nickel refinery three years ago won't be paid until after the federal election.
The billionaire businessman this week said he would cover the money owed to former employees of Queensland Nickel in a move he said had nothing to do with politics.
"This is not about politics, this is an announcement about the industry in this town and jobs," he said on Monday.
"We think our investment should be welcomed, as an Australian, as Queensland's richest person, and we employ hundreds of people in the state."
But the company's website now says it will only start to make payments from May 21, which falls days after the federal election Mr Palmer hopes will win him a seat in the Senate.
His nephew, Clive Mensink, made 218 workers redundant just three days before he placed Queensland Nickel into voluntary administration in 2016.
It owed about $300 million in debts at the time.
Mr Palmer is now trying to get the Yabulu refinery back up and running, at a time when the price of nickel is rising.
About $7.16 million in entitlements is still owed to former workers of the refinery.
It is unclear if the former federal MP will also repay $66.86 million of taxpayer funds previously used to cover some of what they were owed.
Efforts to recover hundreds of millions of dollars owed by Queensland Nickel continue in court.
A trial to hear those claims has been set down for July 15.
Australian Associated Press
