Overview

• Central Land Council chief executive Lesley Turner alleges a July 2024 release from Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price falsely implied a defeated no‑confidence motion and loss of majority support, after it was sent to more than 1,000 journalists and posted on her website.
• Turner’s counsel told the Federal Court that Price acted on contradictory information, failed to contact the CLC or Turner before publication, and caused reputational harm.
• The court heard that former Yipirinya School principal Gavin Morris contacted Price about a purported bid to oust Turner and that then‑CLC chair Matthew Palmer supplied a “nonsensical” account of events following a men’s meeting.
• Price concedes the release conveyed the complained‑of meaning and now relies on qualified privilege, with the trial to examine reasonableness through witnesses, messages and emails.
• Price has warned an adverse judgment could threaten her seat if it leads to bankruptcy, and she has funded her defence through crowdfunding that includes a disclosed Hancock Prospecting contribution; the NT News later retracted and apologised for a related article.