John Hewson’s defamation case against A Current Affair to go to trial

Former Liberal leader John Hewson has taken his fight with A Current Affair up a gear, with the defamation case to proceed to trial.

The defamation stoush between former Liberal leader John Hewson and Nine’s A Current Affair will head to trial after mediation talks failed.

Mr Hewson is suing over an episode of the program in May he claims falsely painted him as the chairman of an insurance company that refused to pay out a claim to a couple who had goods damaged in a thunderstorm.

The Federal Court heard on Wednesday morning the two parties had been unable to settle the case.

“The mediation was unsuccessful, unfortunately,” Mr Hewson’s lawyer Paul Svilans told Justice Michael Wigney.

The defamation stoush between former Liberal leader John Hewson and Nine’s A Current Affair will head to trial after mediation talks failed. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

Justice Wigney said the “sad reality” was the case could not be heard until 2021 due to a packed court diary.

Mr Hewson claims A Current Affair defamed him by suggesting he failed to direct a payout to Adrian and Nicole Dolahenty in his role as chairman of GSA Insurance.

According to court documents filed by Mr Hewson, the Dolahentys’ goods were damaged by flooding not covered in their policy, and in any event Mr Hewson was the chairman of the insurance broker, not the insurer, and did not decide on the claim.

He alleges A Current Affair had this information before going to air.

ACA host Tracy Grimshaw has been named in the defamation suit.

Mr Svilans said he was “perplexed” about why Nine was trying to file an expert report into what happened at North Parramatta Storage King when the issue was about Mr Hewson’s role.

“It’s a furphy,” Mr Svilans said. “He’s branded as being somehow at fault for this claim being denied but he’s chairman of the broker, not the insurance company.”

Nine’s barrister Lyndelle Barnett said the report was relevant to Mr Dolahenty’s state of mind.

The media outlet has filed a defence of honest opinion.

A Current Affair presenter Tracy Grimshaw and journalist Danielle Post are also named in the lawsuit.

The matter was set down for a four-day trial beginning on April 12, 2021.