The boss of a major Indigenous land council has criticised an outspoken Liberal senator for taking aim at him politically and “escalating” false claims he was sacked.
Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is being sued for defamation by Central Land Council chief executive Lesley Turner over a media release in July 2024 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.
“You’ve accused her of targeting you for political purposes?” Mr Turner was asked by the senator’s barrister Peter Gray SC as the defamation trial continued.
“Yes,” he replied.
He had 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 court was told.
“I talked about it being promulgated more by Senator (Nampijinpa) Price,” he testified.
“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.
While he claimed publicly there had been a motion to remove the chief executive, the council denied this through media reports and in its 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.
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 denied Mr Turner suffered hurt because of 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.
The senator suggested the process of determining who could receive royalty payments as traditional owners was open to corruption.
In his affidavit, Mr Turner described these sentiments as offensive, ill-informed and hypocritical.
“There’s only one party throwing around insults about the other party and it’s not senator (Nampijinpa) Price,” suggested Mr Gray.
The land council boss rejected this.
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 on Friday.
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