The former federal MP Sophie Mirabella has been awarded full costs on top of her $175,000 in damages as part of her defamation win against a country Victorian newspaper.



The ex-Liberal MP successfully sued the Benalla Ensign and its editor, Libby Price, over an article claiming she pushed rival politician Cathy McGowan at a photo opportunity during the 2016 federal election.



On Thursday, county court judge Michael Macnamara was told the Ensign and Price had made an early offer of just $5,364 to settle the case but how they came to that figure was never explained to Mirabella.



Mirabella’s legal team then tried to settle for $150,000 plus legal fees but the newspaper and Price never responded to the offer.

In his decision, Macnamara rejected that the offer of “$5,000-odd” was reasonable and ruled that “indemnity is justified” in the case.



Indemnity costs are a higher amount than is usually awarded and covers all the costs of her legal action, including fees, charges, disbursements, expenses and remuneration.

The final amount of the costs are still to be worked out.



Mirabella was awarded the $175,000 damages earlier this month after a jury found she had been defamed.



The 2016 article was published before the 2 July election in which Mirabella hoped to win back the seat of Indi from McGowan.



Macnamara said Mirabella was wrongly portrayed as carrying out the push and suffered damage to her reputation.

