‘Security concern’ for Senator in defamation trial

By JACK GRAMENZ and MIKLOS BOLZA

A “security concern” which called police to a court house has also prevented Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price sitting in on part of her trial for allegedly defaming the head of an Aboriginal land council.

The Senator’s barrister Peter Gray SC raised the concern shortly before the Federal Court broke for lunch in Darwin on Tuesday afternoon.

“My client is not in the court at the moment because of the concern that I refer to,” he said when the hearing resumed.

“The concern, as I say, is a security concern,” he said.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price arrives at court where the head of an Aboriginal land council is suing her.

A Northern Territory Police spokesperson said police were called about “an individual within the Darwin court house”.

“The incident was handled by court staff prior to police arrival and officers were subsequently not required,” they said.

Senator Nampijinpa Price is being sued over a July 2024 media release which allegedly defamed Central Land Council chief executive Lesley Turner.

Harm to reputation

That release falsely said there had been a no-confidence motion against him by council delegates, he said.

The Senator should have verified claims about the Aboriginal land council head before publicly harming his reputation, the defamation trial previously heard.

Senator Nampijinpa Price had given weight to the claim by repeating it publicly, Alice Springs-based health official John Boffa told the court on Tuesday after being called as a witness by Mr Turner’s legal team.

A press release is alleged to have falsely claimed Central Land Council delegates wanted Lesley Turner removed as CEO.

“A Senator of the Crown can’t just parrot what someone else has said without thinking about it and trying to verify it independently,” he said under cross-examination from Mr Gray.

The land council’s chair, Matthew Palmer, had spoken with the NT News and the ABC before the senator issued her media release, telling the outlets there had been a vote and the majority wanted Mr Turner gone.

Mr Gray’s suggestions Senator Nampijinpa Price had simply assumed Mr Palmer’s statements were correct were rejected in court.

Dr Boffa instead argued the senator had added a “new twist” to the claims, accusing Mr Turner of unprofessional conduct as well.

‘Mud sticks’

Reports on the internal spat had caused reputational damage because the “bush telegraph” was so good at spreading negative stories, he said.

“I think that his reputation took a hit from this and mud sticks,” Dr Boffa added.

The damage was done through a perception that Mr Turner had gone rogue and remained on despite the vote against him.

Any view that he had lost the community’s support was very serious for the head of an Aboriginal organisation, Dr Boffa said.

John Boffa said perceived loss of community support was serious for an Aboriginal organisation boss. (Alan Porritt/AAP PHOTOS)

Mr Palmer’s allegations were published by the NT News, but the newspaper later pulled the article and issued an apology.

The Senator and her staff failed to question inconsistencies in the Palmer press release or confirm matters with sources before going ahead with their defamatory release, Mr Turner’s barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC earlier told the court.

The Senator has dropped a truth defence and is relying on a defence of qualified privilege to avoid court-ordered damages.

She has also denied Mr Turner suffered any hurt due to her conduct.

The hearing continues on Wednesday.

AAP