Joe Hockey to sue Fairfax over donations-for-access story
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Version 0 of 1. Joe Hockey is suing Fairfax Media for defamation over a story about his links to a fundraising body that was headlined 'Treasurer for sale'. A spokeswoman for the treasurer said he had filed a statement of claim in the federal court against the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age, the Canberra Times and their online services. “The Treasurer’s determination to seek to prosecute this matter against the relevant publications should not be underestimated,” the statement said. Hockey threatened legal action when the story was published on the front pages of the Age and Sydney Morning Herald on 5 May. The story claimed a fundraising group, North Sydney Forum, attached to the treasurer’s north Sydney electorate office offered “privileged access” in exchange for membership fees that ran up to $22,000 per year. Hockey engaged lawyers the day the story ran and came out strongly against its implications. “Accusations made in Fairfax Media today are both offensive and repugnant,” his statement said at the time. “The Treasurer will not let it distract him from the important task of putting the budget together. As the matter is now in the hands of lawyers no further comment can be made.” |