Premier David Crisafulli faces legal action from Katter’s over ad comparing candidate to Troy Thompson
Katter’s Australian Party has threatened to launch legal action against Premier David Crisafulli over an ad targeting their Hinchinbrook candidate Mark Molachino, who is a veteran - arguing that a comparison to Troy Thompson’s military lies crosses the line. DETAILS
Katter’s Australian Party has threatened to launch legal action against Premier David Crisafulli over an ad targeting their Hinchinbrook candidate Mark Molachino, who is a veteran - arguing that a comparison to Troy Thompson’s military lies crosses the line.
The party has sent a formal concerns notice to the Premier as a mandatory step before Mr Molachino seeks to commence legal proceedings for defamation.
The Townsville Bulletin reported on Thursday that Mr Molachino slammed the LNP over the ‘disgraceful’ ad which appeared on social media on Wednesday evening, depicting him next to Troy Thompson with the words “let’s not go through this again”, referring to allegations after the 2024 mayoral election that Mr Thompson was not upfront about his military history and university qualifications.
In Townsville on Thursday morning, Premier David Crisafulli said it was important that those running in an election were “honest” and accused Mr Molachino of not being open about his history with the Labor Party.
“You’ve got to be honest about your record. And people in Townsville know that because they lived through the saga with what happened with Troy,” Mr Crisafulli said.
Mr Molachino said he had been “open about his ties with the Labor Party, following questions and ads from earlier in the election campaign about his political loyalties.
“I’ve been quite open with my history with the Labor Party, I walked away on my morals because I didn’t believe that they were going in the right direction, and they weren’t,” he said.
“I think if you talk to a lot of people in town at the moment, they’ll tell you. So I walked. I’ve never lied about that. Never ever shied away from the fact that I did that.”
“I started my political career in the Katter party, and now I’m back in the Katter party and that’s where I’ll finish my political career.”
The letter to the Premier from the KAP outlines the “serious harm” the party believes the ad has caused.
“That fact that you made the comments at a press conference meant that you knew and intended for them to be widely published, as in fact occurred,” the letter reads.
“What you have published is false and is incapable of being justified. It was not based on any proper material. And it was published in circumstances where you knew broad republication would occur.”
The KAP argued that “the ordinary reasonable person who heard those words would know that the reference to Troy is a reference to former Townsville Mayor, Troy Thompson.
“Mr Thompson is known for having been dishonest about his military service and has been the subject of an investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission for that conduct, among other conduct. These are notorious facts,” the letter reads.
Mr Molachino told the media he served in the Royal Australian Air Force for close to 25 years, 10 years as a full time employee and the rest as an active reservist.
He said it was “extremely offensive” to be featured in an ad being compared him to Mr Thompson.
“I was called on to serve my country, I am a defence veteran like a lot of people in the city,” Mr Molachino said.
“The implication that I am a liar, like Troy Thompson has been proved to be today in the report that came out from the CCC, just can’t be allowed to be done.”
“I need to make a stand on this one. They can go on all they want about the Labor links and all that rubbish that has been going on for the last three weeks, because obviously they don’t have anything else to campaign on. But this one, I draw a line in the sand. It’s not acceptable.”
KAP leader Robbie Katter announced, after consideration, the party would to launch a concerns notice to the Premier – the formal notice before a defamation lawsuit.
“We’re here to give the message to the premier today that when you start picking on the opposition, you spend your whole time doing that, you’re indirectly telling North Queensland you’ve got nothing for them,” he said.
“That’s all you do, when you’ve got nothing to offer. They’ve spent the entire campaign picking on Mark Molachino.
“We just want your vote to win the election. And because of the nature of the campaign and the way they’ve kept attacking the character of Mark Molachino, the KAP has gotten together and given advice to Mark. We’ve started legal proceedings against the Premier.”
With the election being held on Saturday, Mr Katter argued that “attacking a veteran” with the Premier being the Minister for Veterans, was going to “lose them a lot”.
“I think it’s a real shame how the government’s conducted themselves,” he said.
“Someone has to be accountable. We feel the most appropriate person is the Premier,” he said.
The KAP has advised the Premier must offer to make amends within 28 days by way of a “clear” apology and retraction, a payment of $25,000 to a charity of Mr Molachino’s choice and payment of costs incurred to the sum of $2000.
In a statement an LNP spokesperson said voters “simply cannot trust Labor’s Katter candidate.”
“This is a desperate stunt to distract from the fact Labor’s Katter candidate Mark Molachino has repeatedly misled the electorate about his ties to the Labor Party throughout the campaign,” the spokesperson said.
“After the Troy Thompson saga, this is the last thing the region needs.”
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Originally published as Premier David Crisafulli faces legal action from Katter’s over ad comparing candidate to Troy Thompson
