Senator Lidia Thorpe to be sued by Indigenous Labor MP Marion Scrymgour over alleged ‘corruption’ accusations
Labor MP Marion Scrymgour has called in lawyers over a series of comments made by incendiary Senator Lidia Thorpe.
Ms Thorpe questioned the federal MP for Lingiari at a Senate estimates hearing in early June about the funds the Northern Land Council received during the Covid pandemic when she was chief executive.
The independent senator accused Ms. Scrymgour of trying to use stimulus money spent during the pandemic on political campaigns, and asked current executives whether a $400,000 grant was used “to build a vacation home for the family of Mrs Scrymgour at Twin Hill Station’.
Ms Scrymgour strongly denied the allegations at the time and claims she has nothing to hide.
Senator Lidia Thorpe (pictured) questioned the federal MP for Lingiari in the Northern Territory during a Senate estimates hearing in early June about funds she received during the Covid pandemic during her time as CEO of the Northern Land Council
These comments from Ms Thorpe were made under parliamentary privilege, which protects politicians from this type of legal action.
But Ms Scrymgour claims social media posts Ms Thorpe later made about the allegations meant she would be ‘forsaking parliamentary privilege’.
“Senator Thorpe does not respect the institution of parliament or what it stands for,” she said.
“But she likes to use it to attack people she sees as her political opponents – especially if they are other First Nations women.
“To have one aspect of the system deliberately weaponized through social media in relation to something that has nothing to do with my performance as an elected member and by someone seeking to further her First Nations identity and credentials through association and relationship with Aboriginal claim territories.
‘She has nothing to do with us. I have engaged lawyers in connection with the social media posts.”
Labor MP Marion Scrymgour (pictured) has called in lawyers over a series of comments made by incendiary Senator Lidia Thorpe
Ms Scrymgour said Ms Thorpe’s decision to discuss these allegations outside standard parliamentary processes “has expanded and exacerbated her allegations, leaving no doubt as to her malicious, personal and political motivation.”
“I take these allegations very seriously; they are offensive and need to be addressed. They are insults to my character.”
Northern Land Council executives told Senate hearings investigations into allegations of Covid stimulus misuse would take place, but there was no indication Ms Scrymgour had any involvement.