Clive Palmer ‘highly likely’ to win WA coronavirus border closure legal fight, Prime Minister warns

By Frances Bell and Charlotte Hamlyn

Posted Yesterday at 1:06pm, updated Yesterday at 10:30pm

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Duration: 48 seconds48s

Scott Morrison says Clive Palmer will probably win a High Court challenge against WA’s hard border.

The Prime Minister has escalated his dispute with Mark McGowan over Western Australia’s hard border closure, warning the Premier his “all-or-nothing approach” will “highly likely” fall foul of the constitution.

Key points:

• A border court challenge is unlikely to go in WA’s favour, the PM says
• The Premier says WA will keep fighting Clive Palmer’s legal bid
• One expert has told court a “targeted” border closure would be better

Clive Palmer’s WA border dispute is being heard in the Federal Court this week, before heading to the High Court later this year.

Scott Morrison has defended the Commonwealth’s decision to join Mr Palmer’s action.

He said he was concerned about the “combative” way the debate had unfolded.

“I do fear an all-or-nothing approach on the case is not the best way forward because I think the constitutional position is fairly clear,” he said.

“My concern is that it is highly likely that the constitutional position that is being reviewed in this case will not fall in the Western Australian Government’s favour.”

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter insisted the Commonwealth was not “siding” with Mr Palmer.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-29/clive-palmer-highly-likely-to-win-wa-border-challenge-pm-says/12501872