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Greens leader Adam Bandt has threatened Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus with legal action over remarks he made that Mr Bandt says were defamatory.
The federal government and opposition joined together in the House of Representatives on Wednesday to condemn the Greens and its response to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The major parties took aim at the Greens for “consciously and deliberately spreading” misinformation, and claiming the Greens had incited pro-Palestinian protesters into demonstrations that had led to politicians’ electorate offices being targeted.
Shortly after, Mr Dreyfus spoke on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing where he directed his anger about the issue towards the Greens leader.
Mr Bandt says his lawyers have written to the attorney-general to say he considers the comments he made on the program defamatory.
“I think that the first law officer of this country should not make utterly unfounded statements and spread disinformation. No politician should do that,” Mr Bandt said in a statement.
“I understand a number of media outlets have chosen to stop broadcasting and publishing his statements because of legal concerns. I welcome their restraint.”
Mr Dreyfus’s comments were made outside the lower house chamber, and were not covered by parliamentary privilege.
Mr Bandt said he would “prefer not to” pursue the matter legally, and hoped Mr Dreyfus would respond in a proper way.
“The prime minister and Labor are not the victims in these matters. The victims are the over 36,000 people killed in the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the hostages, and the 1,200 people killed on October 7, compounded by the failure of the Labor government to take action against the Israeli government’s invasion,” Mr Bandt added.
Frontbencher Katy Gallagher again restated the claim that the Greens were “misrepresenting the Commonwealth government’s position”.
“I think the point the prime minister was making yesterday and has made before is that it’s the role of political leaders, leaders in the community, to try and bring the country together, not stoke … social division and fear,” Senator Gallagher said.
