Labor MP considers legal action over Lidia Thorpe social media post

Northern Territory Labor MP Marion Scrymgour says she has engaged lawyers over a social media post by independent senator Lidia Thorpe that she claims implied she had behaved corruptly.

Scrymgour accused Thorpe on Monday afternoon of using parliament to attack other Aboriginal women she perceived as her political foes, and trying to boost her own First Nations credentials by claiming association with Aboriginal Territorians, whom she had “nothing to do with”.

Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour says she has engaged lawyers over Lidia Thorpe’s social media post.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“I am not the only female NT Aboriginal politician who has been irresponsibly targeted in this way by Senator Thorpe, and it is not the first time she has made gratuitously false allegations relating to me under the protection of parliamentary privilege,” Scrymgour said shortly after question time.

Her statement followed a June 7 Senate estimates hearing in which Thorpe asked representatives of the Northern Land Council whether Scrymgour – its former head – had been given advice about using COVID-19 stimulus payments to further her political aspirations.

Northern Land Council acting chief executive Jessie Schaecken said Thorpe’s questions related to matters she had been looking into and “would prefer not to discuss at this level”.

Thorpe asked whether that included a $400,000 grant going to an Aboriginal corporation “to build a holiday house for Ms Scrymgour’s family at Twin Hill Station”.

Independent MP Lidia Thorpe asked questions about Scrymgour’s previous role at the Northern Land Council during a June 7 estimates hearing.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Schaecken said she wasn’t able to discuss that matter during the hearing before claiming public-interest immunity. She then assured Thorpe the Northern Land Council would properly investigate the administration of COVID-19 grants.

Scrymgour accused Thorpe of using “the cover of parliamentary privilege to raise a number of allegations about me – essentially insinuating that I had engaged in corrupt conduct, not in relation to my work as a politician but in relation to my previous job”.

“Statements masquerading as questions made imputations which were clearly aimed at damaging my reputation. They wrongly attributed to me conduct which I deny,” Scrymgour said in parliament.

Thorpe posted footage of the estimates hearing to her social media page with added comments. Scrymgour said during her remarks to parliament that those comments “extended and aggravated her imputations, leaving no doubt as to her malicious personal and political motivation”.

“Senator Thorpe doesn’t respect the institution of parliament and what it stands for, but she is happy to use it to attack people she sees as her political opponents, especially when they are other First Nations women,” Scrymgour said.

“What I don’t expect is to have one aspect of the system deliberately weaponised through social media, in relation to something which has nothing to do with my performance as an elected member, and by someone who seeks to augment her First Nations identity and credentials by claiming association and relationship with Aboriginal Territorians. She has nothing to do with us.

“I have engaged lawyers in relation to the social media posts.”

In a statement responding to Scrymgour, Thorpe said Senate estimates were an opportunity to scrutinise the administration of public money.

“My questions in estimates this month were guided by community concerns. Pushing for better accountability and transparency around government spending is a key part of my role as an independent senator,” she said.

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