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Category: Federal Parliament / Business, Economics and Finance / Company News / Mining Industry

Lazarus troubled by Queensland Nickel woes

Monday, 1 Feb 2016 15:58:39 | Stephanie Anderson

Palmer United Party founder Clive Palmer (left) and former PUP Senator Glenn Lazarus (right). (AAP: Alan Porritt, Harrison Saragossi)

Independent senator Glenn Lazarus says the issues engulfing Clive Palmer's Queensland Nickel refinery have made him feel "like shit".

Mr Palmer's companies donated almost $10 million to his political party, Palmer United Party (PUP), over the past financial year, with more than half coming from the troubled refinery.

Queensland Nickel donated $5.9 million in the 12-month period, including almost $300,000 a fortnight before sacking staff at the Yabuku refinery.

It has since gone into voluntary administration.

Senator Lazarus was elected as a candidate for PUP before quitting and becoming an independent.

Donations: who gave what?

The Australian Electoral Commission has released data about donations given to political parties in the 2014-15 financial year. Search the dataset to see who gave how much.

He told 7.30 that he feels terrible when he thinks about the refinery workers.

"Oh, you know, like shit," he said.

"I mean, I was asked to run for Palmer United — I didn't know anything about campaigning. I never asked. I just went and did what I had to do."

Mr Palmer said last month that Senator Lazarus was the main beneficiary of the party's multi-million-dollar electoral campaign.

The relationship between the pair has been volatile since Senator Lazarus's departure from PUP in March, prompted by the sacking of his wife from the party, and Mr Palmer has accused his former colleague of refusing to pay back the money "spent in order to get him elected".

"It seems like Senator Lazarus wants to take and never give," he said.

PUP received almost $26 million from businesses owned by Mr Palmer in the 2013-14 financial year, with Queensland Nickel donating $15.2 million in that time.

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