BOMBSHELL DEFAMATION LAWSUIT:Senator Jacinta Price SUED for ‘unprofessional’ and ‘unfit’ claims against Indigenous leader
- Liberal senator accused of defaming CEO of Central Land Council Lesley Turner over media release
- Turner claims release implied he was unfit for the role and had lost support of council members
- Controversial senator has history of sparking outrage with outspoken views on Indigenous issues
In a shocking development, outspoken Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is facing a defamation lawsuit from a senior Indigenous leader over allegedly “unprofessional” and “unfit” claims. Central Land Council CEO Lesley Turner is taking the senator to court, claiming a media release from Price in July 2024 wrongly suggested he had lost the support of the majority of council members and was unfit for his role.
According to Turner’s statement of claim, the senator’s release implied he had “behaved so unprofessionally that it warranted his dismissal” and was “unfit to continue to occupy the role of CEO”. The claims were published by the NT News in an article titled, “No confidence motion against Lesley Turner defeated”, which was later retracted and apologised for.
This is not the first time Price has courted controversy. In 2023, she campaigned against a “yes” vote ahead of the defeated referendum on whether to allow an Indigenous Voice to parliament. She has also called for an audit of federally funded Indigenous organisations, and was sackked from her shadow portfolios of defence industry and defence personnel in September 2024 for suggesting the government favoured Indian migrants because they voted Labor.
The defamation case is set to be heard in the Federal Court in Darwin, with Justice Michael Wheelahan presiding over the seven-day hearing. In October 2024, Price was ordered to pay $1500 after her legal team failed to file her defence in time to present at a hearing of the defamation matter.
As the drama unfolds, Senator Price’s actions are once again under the spotlight, sparking concerns about her suitability for public office. With a reputation for sparking outrage with her outspoken views, this latest development is set to send shockwaves through the political establishment.