The office of Treasurer Joe Hockey has confirmed that Hockey has taken legal action against leading Fairfax newspapers for defamation.
The action has been taken in response to a series of articles about a fundraising forum that offered access to the Treasurer in exchange for annual fees of up to $22,000.
One of the articles in question is the story headlined ‘Treasurer for sale’ which appeared on the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on the 5th of May and a corresponding poster that read, “Exclusive, Treasurer for Sale. Herald Investigation’ which was placed outside newsagents. Mr Hockey described the story and headlines as, “grossly defamatory” and designed to, “increase sales of the Sydney Morning Herald at the expense of [his] reputation.”
Mr Hockey’s lawyers filed statements of claim in the Federal Court today and released an official statement reading, “The Treasurer has filed statements of claim in the Federal Court in relation to defamation proceedings against SMH, The Age, Canberra Times.”
The matter is scheduled for a directions hearing before Justice Peter Jacobson on June 12.
