Warren Tredrea’s Federal Court case hears Channel 9’s Covid-19 expert is a member of two AstraZeneca boards

Nine’s expert response to Warren Tredrea’s wrongful dismissal lawsuit is a professor with a seat at the AstraZeneca table, a court has heard.

Warren Tredrea outside the Federal Court. Picture: Russell Millard

The Covid-19 expert backing Channel 9 in ex-footballer Warren Tredrea’s wrongful dismissal lawsuit is a paid board member of an AstraZeneca advisory group, a court has heard.

On Wednesday, lawyers for the network opened their defence case by tendering reports by University of Queensland microbiologist Associate Professor Paul Griffin.

Those reports, they told the court, backed their claim that Nine’s mandatory vaccination requirement – which Tredrea blames for his dismissal – was reasonable under law.

Under cross-examination, Simon Ower KC, for Tredrea suggested Professor Griffin had been paid to provide those reports and to give evidence.

He further suggested Professor Griffin’s CV listed him as a member of both the national and international advisory boards for AstraZeneca, makers of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Mr Ower also suggested Professor Griffin had appeared “numerous times” on the Today show, A Current Affair, and both local and national editions of Nine News.

He suggested that indicated a “prior relationship” between Professor Griffin and Nine, which the academic denied.

Professor Griffin agreed he had been paid for his reports, but said he had “never” been remunerated for appearing on television.

He agreed he was paid to attend AstraZeneca meetings, and that the company covered his hotel and travel expenses, but said he could not recall the amount of money involved.

Tredrea has asked the court to award him $5,775,000, claiming he was wrongfully dismissed due to Nine’s “unreasonable” Covid policy.

He denies he performed poorly in the job, claiming he “broke more stories” than his colleagues – who, Tredrea claimed, won awards “off the back of me”.

The court also heard evidence supporting Tredrea from Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, who denied being a “vocal critic” of vaccine mandates despite comments evoking Nazi Germany.

The trial is continuing, with Nine’s SA news director, Jeremy Pudney, and its HR officer expected to give evidence on Thursday.