Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s Reputation on the Line as Explosive Defamation Trial Reaches Boiling Point
- Senator Nampijinpa Price is being sued by Central Land Council CEO Lesley Turner over a media release that allegedly defamed him
- The court has heard evidence from various witnesses, including Senator Nampijinpa Price, who claims she had a “community interest” in publishing the release
- Lesley Turner’s lawyer, Sue Chrysanthou SC, has accused Senator Nampijinpa Price of “using her position” to “promote and promulgate” false claims about Mr Turner
In a shocking turn of events, outspoken Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been accused of “using her position” to defame the chief executive of a major Aboriginal representative body. The explosive defamation trial, which has captivated the nation, has reached its boiling point, with the court hearing evidence from various witnesses, including Senator Nampijinpa Price herself.
At the centre of the controversy is a media release distributed by Senator Nampijinpa Price’s office in July 2024, which claimed Central Land Council CEO Lesley Turner had lost the support of fellow councillors due to unprofessional conduct and was no longer fit to serve in the role. The release also repeated allegations made in a separate release by the CLC’s then-chairman Matthew Palmer, which claimed Mr Turner had faced an unsuccessful no-confidence motion at a meeting of male council delegates.
Lesley Turner’s lawyer, Sue Chrysanthou SC, has delivered a scathing closing address, accusing Senator Nampijinpa Price of “promoting and promulgating” false claims about Mr Turner across various media platforms. “She was told her publication was wrong almost immediately… but she just didn’t care,” Ms Chrysanthou said. “She promoted and promulgated her defamation on Facebook, to print journalists… in broadcast interviews and her defamation news repeated and circulated.”
Senator Nampijinpa Price’s defence claims she had a “community interest” in publishing the release and “took proper steps” to “verify the accuracy of the material published by her”. However, Ms Chrysanthou argued that Senator Nampijinpa Price’s answers during the trial revealed her “complete lack of interest” in verifying the information provided to her from Mr Palmer at the time.
The court has heard evidence from various witnesses, including Mr Turner and Senator Nampijinpa Price, who have presented vastly different accounts of the events leading up to the media release. As the trial reaches its climax, the nation waits with bated breath for the judge’s decision, which could have far-reaching consequences for Senator Nampijinpa Price’s reputation and career.