The head of an Aboriginal land council has accused Jacinta Nampijinpa Price of issuing an “unfair” and “hurtful” press release that falsely suggested he had lost the support of most of his members.

Central Land Council chief executive Les Turner is suing for defamation in the Federal Court after the Liberal senator said he had faced an unsuccessful no confidence motion at a meeting in the Northern Territory last year.

Turner says Price had amplified an incorrect claim made by the land council’s then chair, Matthew Palmer, and that she had failed to fact-check the press release she sent to nearly 2000 journalists.

Price, who has dropped her truth and honest opinion defences, is seeking to rely on qualified privilege, which requires her to show she was acting in the public interest.

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