Post by aek210 on Mar 16, 2012 12:17:01 GMT 10
Go ahead and jail me, says Clive Palmer, ahead of possible helicopter stunt at Skilled Park
By Phil Rothfield
The Daily Telegraph March 16, 2012 8:59AM
Billionaire Clive Palmer says he is prepared to go to jail to pull off his latest publicity stunt.
Police warned Palmer not to fly a helicopter over Skilled Park on Sunday evening when his old club Gold Coast United host Perth Glory.
Palmer has booked Becker Helicopters at Coolangatta to tow the banner "Freedom Of Speech" around the stadium for an hour before the game.
The $6 billion man said he would not be silenced, or grounded.
"We got a call from Queensland police saying we couldn't fly over the stadium under a Queensland Act they were prepared to enforce," Palmer said.
"Maybe Frank Lowy and his boys have been in contact with them. It's unusual for the authorities to threaten you before you've applied for a permit or actually done anything wrong.
"It shows the length some of these people will go to."
Palmer revealed he personally contacted police after being informed that he would be breaking the law by using the chopper.
"I rang the policeman and offered myself up for arrest," he said.
"I said 'where do I report to - what jail. I'm the one responsible - not the helicopter company or the pilot."
After being banned by FFA from fence advertising at Aus-grid Stadium in Newcastle last Friday night, Palmer booked a chopper and got a permit to fly over the ground.
He insists he's not in a personal dispute with FFA chairman Frank Lowy and is simply trying to get his message across.
"I've got no dispute with Frank Lowy personally," he said, "Frank might be upset with me but I'm not.
"All I'm about is people having the right to say things. Their contracts are all designed to shut people up and not have open debate.
"That's not good for any sport. People who participate should be able to say what they think," he said.
Even if he's eventually banned from flying over Skilled Park, Palmer says that he has other ways of getting his message across.
"We're not short of other ideas and we're not short of money," he said.
"We're more solvent than FFA. How far do you want to go to try to suppress people's views?
"We need to know why it costs $300 for a six-year-old to sign up for a team.
"If you're a sheet metal worker and you've got four kids they can't play.
"We complain about that and they throw you out."
www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/go-ahead-and-jail-me-says-clive-palmer-ahead-of-possible-helicopter-stunt-at-skilled-park/story-e6frf4gl-1226301180264
By Phil Rothfield
The Daily Telegraph March 16, 2012 8:59AM
Billionaire Clive Palmer says he is prepared to go to jail to pull off his latest publicity stunt.
Police warned Palmer not to fly a helicopter over Skilled Park on Sunday evening when his old club Gold Coast United host Perth Glory.
Palmer has booked Becker Helicopters at Coolangatta to tow the banner "Freedom Of Speech" around the stadium for an hour before the game.
The $6 billion man said he would not be silenced, or grounded.
"We got a call from Queensland police saying we couldn't fly over the stadium under a Queensland Act they were prepared to enforce," Palmer said.
"Maybe Frank Lowy and his boys have been in contact with them. It's unusual for the authorities to threaten you before you've applied for a permit or actually done anything wrong.
"It shows the length some of these people will go to."
Palmer revealed he personally contacted police after being informed that he would be breaking the law by using the chopper.
"I rang the policeman and offered myself up for arrest," he said.
"I said 'where do I report to - what jail. I'm the one responsible - not the helicopter company or the pilot."
After being banned by FFA from fence advertising at Aus-grid Stadium in Newcastle last Friday night, Palmer booked a chopper and got a permit to fly over the ground.
He insists he's not in a personal dispute with FFA chairman Frank Lowy and is simply trying to get his message across.
"I've got no dispute with Frank Lowy personally," he said, "Frank might be upset with me but I'm not.
"All I'm about is people having the right to say things. Their contracts are all designed to shut people up and not have open debate.
"That's not good for any sport. People who participate should be able to say what they think," he said.
Even if he's eventually banned from flying over Skilled Park, Palmer says that he has other ways of getting his message across.
"We're not short of other ideas and we're not short of money," he said.
"We're more solvent than FFA. How far do you want to go to try to suppress people's views?
"We need to know why it costs $300 for a six-year-old to sign up for a team.
"If you're a sheet metal worker and you've got four kids they can't play.
"We complain about that and they throw you out."
www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/go-ahead-and-jail-me-says-clive-palmer-ahead-of-possible-helicopter-stunt-at-skilled-park/story-e6frf4gl-1226301180264
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