We'll help Palmer keep plant open: Newman THE Queensland premier says his government will help federal MP Clive Palmer keep his Townsville nickel refinery open. Campbell Newman has called on the mining magnate to keep his promise to invest $1 billion in the Yabulu plant, protect existing jobs, and create 500 new positions. "We haven't seen it," the premier told Fairfax radio on Thursday. He said the plant was a cause of concern for the government. "We might have had our disagreements, but if he needs the support of the government with any application to actually reinvest, to build the refinery up, to secure those jobs, he has our full support," Mr Newman said. We want to see those existing jobs protected. We want to see more jobs at the refinery. Mr Newman said media reports had suggested a cloud was hanging over the plant's future, and Mr Palmer needed to act on his investment pledge to allay the government's concerns. If that's not going to happen I suppose I'll need to take a closer look about what's going on. AAP has sought comment from Mr Palmer, who has previously said the refinery's future is secure. Mr Palmer said his Queensland Nickel (QNI) Yabulu refinery had been the subject of misleading media reports since he bought it four years ago from BHP Billiton, when it was facing closure. "Now we have Campbell Newman jumping on the bandwagon," he said in a statement. It's disgraceful that Campbell Newman is using QNI and its hardworking staff as a political football to attack me because he and the LNP are concerned about the threat from the Palmer United Party at the next state election.