Senator’s council ouster claims ‘unfair and hurtful’
By MIKLOS BOLZA
The boss of a major Indigenous land council has criticised an outspoken Liberal Senator for “escalating” false claims that he was ousted from his position.
Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is being sued for defamation by Central Land Council chief executive Lesley Turner over a July 2024 media release that claimed there had been a no-confidence motion against him.
Council chair Matthew Palmer earlier issued his own release including the same allegedly defamatory claim, which was picked up by Senator Nampijinpa Price and reported by the News Corp-owned NT News and the ABC.
Mr Turner on Thursday said he described the hurt caused by Mr Palmer and Senator Nampijinpa Price’s statements at an executive council meeting in the month after their media releases.
The Senator has dropped a truth defence in the case.
“I talked about it being promulgated more by Senator (Nampijinpa) Price,” he said under questioning from the politician’s barrister, Peter Gray SC, in the Federal Court defamation trial.
“She was escalating the issue more, which was unfair and hurtful.”
At a men-only council meeting on July 18, 2024, Mr Palmer discussed getting rid of Mr Turner.
Article later removed
While he claimed publicly that there had been a motion to remove the chief executive, the council denied this through media reports and in its own internal correspondence.
The council represents 24,000 Indigenous people living in the southern half of the NT, covering a huge area that includes Alice Springs, where Senator Nampijinpa Price is based.
An NT News article saying Mr Turner had been sacked was later removed by the publication and an apology issued.
Mr Turner said on Thursday he was shocked, hurt, dismayed and angry at the NT News report.
Lesley Turner said statements he’d been removed as Central Land Council CEO were hurtful.
He reached a settlement with the paper and was only suing Senator Nampijinpa Price for defamation.
The Senator has dropped a truth defence in the case 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.
In an affidavit filed with the court, the senator wrote Australian National Audit Office findings that the council did not have adequate fraud protections in place were “particularly damning” of the chief executive’s management.
He remains in the position, while Mr Palmer was removed as chair in September 2024 after a council meeting at Tennant Creek.
The trial continues.
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