Australian Mining Magnate to Build 'Titanic II' in joint venture

Quote :

Queensland billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer has unveiled his
plans to build the Titanic II to add to his tourism portfolio.

Mr Palmer said his new company Blue Star Line Pty Ltd had
commissioned the state-owned Chinese company CSC Jinling Shipyard to
build a near replica of the ill-fated Titanic. The cost is unknown.


He made the announcement on the same day he revealed his hopes to contest the next federal election in the Queensland seat of Lilley, held by Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan.



The Titanic. Photo: AP





Mr Palmer said the companies had signed a memorandum of
understanding to build the cruise liner in China, with the ship's maiden
voyage from England to North America scheduled for late 2016.


"It will be every bit as luxurious as the original
Titanic but of course it will have state-of-the-art 21st-century
technology and the latest navigation and safety systems," Mr Palmer
said.


Mr Palmer said the rebuild was a tribute to the spirit of the men and women who constructed the original Titanic.


"These people produced work that is still marvelled at
more than 100 years later and we want that spirit to go on for another
100 years," he said.


The Titanic was commissioned by the company White Star
Line and was the world's largest liner, measuring nearly 270 metres
long, 53 metres high and weighing approximately 40,000 tonnes.


It sank in 1912, killing more than 1500 passengers and crew.


Asked today if the Titanic II could sink, Mr Palmer told reporters: "Of course it will sink if you put a hole in it.


He added: "It is going to be designed so it won't sink.


"It will be designed as a modern ship with all the technology to ensure that doesn't happen.


"But, of course, if you are superstitious like you are, you never know what could happen.''


A spokesman for Mr Palmer said the cost of the project was unknown.


"A final budget hasn't been set and I don't think he'll reveal the price to be honest," the spokesman said.


He said the design of the new Titanic would be as close
to the original as possible but would have "state of the art
engineering" and would run on diesel rather than coal power.


"The technology will be 100 years improved," the spokesman said.


Mr Palmer said a historical research team was involved in
the design of the Titanic II, which would have the same dimensions as
its predecessor, with 840 rooms and nine decks.


The only differences would be found below the water line,
he said, and would include a bulbous bow for greater fuel efficiency
and diesel generation, and an enlarged rudder and bow thrusters for
improved manoeuvrability.


"Titanic II will be the ultimate in comfort and luxury
with on-board gymnasiums and swimming pools, libraries, high class
restaurants and luxury cabins," Mr Palmer said.


He said the new ship would also include an exhibition
room, located in the space of the old coal boilers, which will showcase
Queensland and its abundance of opportunities to international
passengers.


The Chinese navy has been invited to escort the Titanic
II on its maiden voyage across the northern hemisphere from England to
New York, he said.


Mr Palmer owns the Sunshine Coast's Coolum Golf and Spa Resort, and the Gold Coast's Robina Woods and Colonial golf courses.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/business/clive-palmer-plans-to-build-titanic-ii-20120430-1xtrc.html#ixzz1tVRVUnXD

I actually kind of love this...

I don't know if he's going to help the LNP's chances in that (now quite winnable) seat. Then again, the tidal wave against Labor is going to be massive in Queensland come the next federal election, so maybe even Jabba the Miner will get to parliament.

I'm sure James Cameron will be watching the Titanic sequel with great interest.



<insert James Cameron's head above... no, not that head>

CJB wrote:

Then again, the tidal wave against Labor is going to be massive in Queensland come the next federal election, so maybe even Jabba the Miner will get to parliament.

If Tony Abbott becomes PM in the next election, I'm forming my own breakaway nation.

You'll be missed.

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

CJB wrote:

Then again, the tidal wave against Labor is going to be massive in Queensland come the next federal election, so maybe even Jabba the Miner will get to parliament.

If Tony Abbott becomes PM in the next election, I'm forming my own breakaway nation.

I'm sure Australia will crumble at the loss.

Quote :

I don't know if he's going to help the LNP's chances in that (now quite
winnable) seat. Then again, the tidal wave against Labor is going to be
massive in Queensland come the next federal election, so maybe even
Jabba the Miner will get to parliament.

I just love it. He's the biggest troll ever. Having '"Fuck you" money' must be a wonderful, beautiful thing. He's just getting a laugh out of watching Swan squirm, tear up and make an ass of himself in response while the Press Gallery eat it up.

And the Titanic thing, that's just unfettered brilliance. He can do it so he will.

I love that Australia finally has a generation of truly crazy capitalists. This must be what it was like to live in America in the 1890s.

The horror, the horror. I saw bits on SyFy last year. What utter tripe. I lost track of how many times the same fat woman ran past the camera during the latter scenes.

But the chance to see the lines of that ship in reality. Well, if it happens...

Palmer won't get preselected because he's obviously not committed to stopping the boats...

Vesper wrote:

I'm sure Australia will crumble at the loss.

Oh, I think Abbott's perfectly capable of bringing the country to its knees (and then expecting everyone to heap praise upon him for it) with or without me.

I reckon you've had more than one fantasy about Abbott and being on your knees.

Nope. I just think he's a particularly poor choice. He's worse than Gillard, though that does not automatically make her an excellent leader. They're both as bad as each other.

The best thing that could be done is for everyone in parliament to leave. For good. Just disband everything and start all over again with new people in new parties with new policies. Because right now, the problem is that Labor and Liberal are more interested in attacking and discrediting one another than in actually doing what is best for the country. They're so far removed from what the people want and need that they might as well be on Mars for all the good they're doing.

So let Swanny deliver his budget, then get the Queen or someone from the royal family over here to run the country for a few months while we get our act together and just start anew.

No word on who's building the replica iceberg?

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He's worse than
Gillard, though that does not automatically make her an excellent
leader. They're both as bad as each other.

I'd like to see your logical justification of how unfettered incompetence trumps an unpleasant personality in determining one's ability to run a country.

Because, like I said, they're both so far removed from what the public both want and need that they might as well be on another planet. For both Gillard and Abbott, being Prime Minister is a prize for out-witting the other. They're more concerned about getting into or staying in power than they are in actually running the country. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to learn that Abbott knew about the sexual harrassment allegations surrounding Peter Slipper and sat on them until he thought that the revelations would do the most damage to the government, just as it didn't surprise me to see Gillard backflip on a carbon tax.

And my dislike of Abbott does not have its origins in his personality. It's in his values, which influence his attitude. Abbott values things that I think are outdated, and I think that he and the Liberals would represent their own kind and simply expect everyone else to find a way to fit into that.