Public funds Mark McGowan’s defamation suit against Palmer

West Australian taxpayers will cover the cost of defamation ­proceedings Premier Mark McGowan has brought against Clive Palmer.

WA Premier Mark McGowan. Picture: Colin Murty

West Australian taxpayers will cover the cost of defamation ­proceedings Premier Mark McGowan has brought against Clive Palmer.

The WA Premier — who is alread­y being sued for defamation by Mr Palmer — says the Queensland billionaire and forme­r MP defamed him in media interviews, newspaper advertisements and social media posts.

The pair have been trading insults­ for months, since Mr Palmer took legal action aimed at bringing down WA’s hard border with the rest of the country.

The fight escalated after the WA government introduced extra­ordinary legal action aimed at stripping Mr Palmer of his rights to pursue legal compensation from the state over his stalled Balmoral South iron ore project in the Pilbara, blocking potential legal claims worth as much as $30bn.

The cost of Mr McGowan’s action­ will be covered under provisions that entitle cabinet ministers to legal representation for matters connected to their roles. The proceeds of any win by Mr McGowan would be the state’s.

According to the statement of cross claim filed in the Federal Court, Mr McGowan’s legal team said Mr Palmer had suggested in interviews with AAP and Sky News that the Premier had lied to the people of WA and was abusing the parliamentary system.

Mr Palmer’s advertisements and social media posts, meanwhile, suggested that “as Premier, Mr McGowan had corruptly attempted­ to cover up the personal­ involvement of himself and others in criminal acts by overseeing the passing of laws designed­ to provide exemptions from them from the criminal law”.

The Balmoral South legisla­tion included provisions giving the state immunity from criminal prosecution over the dispute and barred Freedom of Inform­ation requests in relation to the project.

Mr Palmer told the ABC last month the changes meant Mr McGowan “can murder, shoot you, raid your house, and he’s immun­e from the criminal law”.

Other comments suggested the Premier was “open to accepting multi-million-dollar bribes from Chinese interests”.

Mr McGowan’s statement of claim said the comments suggest­ed he had behaved criminally, was improperly seeking to confer upon himself immunity from the criminal law, and was acting corruptly. His claim seeks unspecified damages, interest and costs and a permanent injunction­ on Mr Palmer from republication.