Chase is on in bitter ABC court battle

Julian Morrow has been accused of using Labor frontbencher Kristina Keneally as a tool to damage the ABC’s managing director.

Co-founder of The Chaser and senior ABC producer Julian Morrow with his barrister Sue Chrysanthou on Monday. Picture: Monique Harmer

High-profile ABC identity Julian Morrow has been accused of using Labor frontbencher Kristina Keneally as a tool to damage the national broadcaster’s managing director David Anderson over the cancellation of his long-running consumer affairs show.

Mr Morrow – who is the co-founder of The Chaser comedy troupe – appeared at the NSW ­Supreme Court on Monday for the first day of hearings into his legal battle with ex-business partner Nick Murray, whom he accuses of reneging on a deal to sell the rights to the now-defunct show The Checkout.

The comedian claims the pair agreed to part ways in 2019 after six series of the show, according to a statement of claim, which also states Mr Murray allegedly agreed to sign over intellectual property rights in The Checkout to Mr Morrow’s company for $50 after it was not commissioned for a ­seventh series.

Senator Keneally, the opposition home affairs spokeswoman, was dragged into the court battle on Monday when documents revealed Mr Murray accused Mr Morrow of back­grounding her ahead of a Senate hearing where she asked if the ABC chief had misled parliament over the circumstances in which The Checkout was cancelled.

In a May 2019 email to Mr ­Anderson, Mr Murray said Mr Morrow backgrounded Senator Keneally, who targeted the ABC managing director over the controversy of The Checkout’s cancellation. “These very pointed questions about Senate Estimates were clearly catalysed by Julian and seemed to be aimed at you … it appeared to me that Julian had backgrounded his friend Senator Kristina Keneally before Senate Estimates,” the email reads.

At a March 2019 parliamentary hearing, Senator Keneally barraged Mr Anderson with questions about The Checkout and ­incorrect evidence he gave that the show’s producers had refused to negotiate a new budget for the seventh season.

“Is it the responsibility of the producers of the show to ensure that correct answers are given at (Senate) Estimates?” Senator Keneally asked Mr Anderson in March 2019. “I must ask, Mr Anderson, was there an attempt by the ABC to mislead the Senate committee?”

Senator Keneally declined to comment on Monday.

The email from Mr Morrow to Mr Anderson also suggests that The Checkout’s production team believed the failure to commission a seventh season of the show was partly due to Labor’s loss at the 2019 federal election.

Mr Morrow claims Mr Murray reneged on a deal to part ways out of their company after finding out Mr Morrow had been in negotiations with the ABC before the sale, ­resulting in the ABC refusing to commission another series of The Checkout.

Mr Morrow arrived at court on Monday alongside his high-­profile barrister Sue Chrysanthou, who recently represented Christian Porter and NSW politician John Barilaro.

The court also heard from Ms Chrysanthou that Senator Keneally would claim parliamentary privilege over discussions which occurred before she grilled Mr Anderson in Senate Estimates.

“She will be objecting to being asked any questions about the conduct of Senate Estimates or any communications she (had) for the purpose of preparing for Senate Estimates,” Ms Chrysanthou said.

Court documents obtained by The Australian reveal Mr Murray told Julia Pincus, now the business affairs lead at the ABC, in 2019 that “Morrow is the new ­millennials’ Steve Vizard”.

The documents also reveal Mr Morrow claims he was defamed by Mr Murray in conversations with the ABC which suggested he had engaged in “fraud”.

A split between the Chaser group is evident, with emails alleging former member Craig Reucassel requested that Mr Murray “take over” from Mr Morrow.

The trial resumes on Tuesday.