A judge has given Clive Palmer a dressing-down for his absence during the Queensland Nickel (QN) trial, saying other people who represented themselves in court could not afford to hire lawyers and still showed up every day.

Key points: Mr Palmer says his work as a company director had stopped him from making it to court

Mr Palmer says his work as a company director had stopped him from making it to court Justice Mullins said usually company directors hired lawyers so they don't waste time

Justice Mullins said usually company directors hired lawyers so they don't waste time Liquidators are trying to claw back $200m from Mr Palmer and his associates

The billionaire, who once listed litigation as his hobby in his Who's Who entry, has missed almost two days of the Supreme Court trial in Brisbane while acting as his own barrister against a liquidators' bid to claw back $200 million from him and his associates.

Mr Palmer told the court on Monday he was torn between being a self-represented litigant and a busy company director.

Justice Debra Mullins shot back that most people in his position hire lawyers "so they don't waste time in court".

"Quite frankly … I have self-represented litigants before me all the time and those who are in court because they can't afford a lawyer or by choice don't have a lawyer, they actually appear at the bar table the whole time," Justice Mullins said.

"Because if you're a self-represented litigant, you're here in lieu of a lawyer, and it seems to me it's your choice if you want to come in and out, but it can't impede the conduct of the trial."

'I can be here every day'

Justice Mullins said that decisions were taken in court last week in Mr Palmer's absence "that really you should have ticked off on as well, so we need to clarify, if you're not going to be here … that the trial can proceed in your absence."

Mr Palmer replied: "I sympathise with what you're saying, your honour. I'm vexed in a sense, between my duties as a director of some companies and my need to appear in this Court, otherwise I would be here all the time."

The judge interjected: "Can I tell you what directors of companies usually do? They engage lawyers so that they don't waste time in court, because that's what lawyers are for, to protect companies' interests and clients' interests … and participate in the time-consuming and all-consuming involvement of trial."

Mr Palmer then said he had "made arrangements so I can be here every day the trial is scheduled to proceed".

He said the "only issue" was his need to spend time briefing a new insolvency expert to replace another who had fallen ill, prompting Mr Palmer's failed bid to have the trial postponed last week.

Mr Palmer also sought to introduce new evidence in response to an opening statement by a liquidators lawyer on Thursday that the mining rights in his China First Galilee Basin coal project, acquired by Queensland Nickel just before its collapse, were "worthless".

"That was the first time that I realised he was going to say that," Mr Palmer said.

Justice Mullins told him "that's why normally in litigation, one party listens with interest to the opening of the other party".

Liquidators, including those trying to recover about $66 million paid by the Commonwealth in entitlements for almost 800 sacked workers, allege Mr Palmer misused QN funds before its collapse.

They argue Mr Palmer, his companies and his associates are liable for QN's debts.

He denies any wrongdoing or liability.