Queensland premier and his deputy, Jeff Seeney, have lodged a claim against the broadcaster and radio station 4BC

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The Queensland premier, Campbell Newman, is suing Alan Jones for defamation over comments made by the broadcaster on Brisbane radio during the state election campaign.

Documents filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday show Newman and deputy premier Jeff Seeney have lodged a claim against Jones and radio station 4BC.

Jones referred to the lawsuit in his morning broadcast on Friday, saying it related to comments he made about the Newman government’s approval of a mine expansion in Jones’s hometown of Acland, west of Brisbane.

“I have been waiting to hear from Campbell Newman for a long time – goodness knows how many times I’ve communicated with him on a range of issues, and those communications have been unanswered,” Jones said.

“So imagine my surprise yesterday when I did receive correspondence running to 35 pages from him and his sidekick, Jeff Seeney.”

At another point of the show, Jones said: “Nice to hear from you, Mr Newman.

“You remain a bit of a political novice if you think that’s the way to win an election or to silence people, you need to actually think again, but thanks for writing.”

Newman has been dogged on the campaign trail by questions about Jones’s criticism over Acland in the days leading up to the lawsuit being lodged.

The opposition leader, Annastacia Palaszczuk, would not comment directly on the case, but said it was characteristic of the LNP government.

“Can I just say, Operation Boring is over,” she said, referring to the nickname for the LNP’s low-key strategy over the past six months.

“Back to the fights, back to the fights and dysfunction we have seen again and again over the last three years. Operation Boring is completely over and Campbell Newman is back to being himself.”

The Liberal National party leaders, whose legal action is Newman confirmed was being funded from party coffers rather than by taxpayers, claim they were defamed by Jones in three radio segments this week.

Newman and Seeney are claiming aggravated damages because of “the sensational language, tone and prominence of the matters complained of”, court documents state. Their statement of claim does not specify how much they are seeking.

Jones is accused in court documents of defaming Newman on Monday by suggesting he “prostituted himself” and dishonestly approved the expansion of Acland “because New Hope Coal had donated more than $700,000 to his political party”.

Newman also claims Jones has defamed him by claiming he lied to the broadcaster by saying he would not approve the stage three expansion of the Acland mine.

The claim alleges that on Tuesday Jones suggested Newman approved the mine “because a bribe of $700,000 was paid to his political party”, according to the documents.

The documents also claim that Jones suggested Newman had “lied to the public” in a 2012 press release which said the LNP would not approve the proposal to expand Acland “which would see the open cut coal mine expand to the very edge” of Oakey, near Toowoomba.

Newman is also alleging that Jones on Wednesday claimed Newman had dishonestly approved the project because Brickworks – a company owned by the same parent company as New Hope Coal – had given a further $385,000 to the LNP, according to the documents.

The broadcaster is also being sued over an allegation that he claimed Newman “lied to the public when he said he had to approve (the Acland expansion) because it would create 1000 jobs”.

Identical claims are made on Seeney’s behalf.

Newman and Seeney allege the broadcaster “acted in contumelious disregard” of their rights by failing to inform them or give them the opportunity to challenge his claims.

They allege Jones knew his claims were false but publicised them “with reckless indifference … and lacking an honest belief in what he published”.

Newman and Seeney are represented by solicitor Shane Williamson from Brisbane firm ClarkeKann.

Newman told reporters in Brisbane that Jones’s attack was a “replay [of] a dishonest smear campaign by the Labor party” in 2015. “Mr Jones will have to justify, under oath, in court his defamatory statements,” he said.