Dear Prime Minister Morrison,
DEFAMATION MATTER — TREVOR POULTON AND SCOTT MORRISON
I refer to your defamatory comments made to the mediaon 17 July 2019 in response to my ‘Legal Opinion — Frydenberg Case’ dated 11 July 2019, which was addressed to you as Prime Minister and Leader of Liberal Party of Australia.
The legal opinion was emailed to you on the 11th, as well as to various members of the Federal Parliament and to sections of the media. On 15 July 2019, Hugh Riminton, a senior reporter of Ten Eyewitness News, contacted me for an interview to give public exposure to the legal opinion. The interview ran on 16 July 2019.
As a consequence of your comments made about me, I have suffered substantial harm to my character and reputation and to my profession as an Australian Legal Practitioner.
I have practised successfully as a solicitor in various areas of law since 2002. I derive my income from the profession. I have also been a member of the Australian Labor Party for 26 consecutive years and have made a significant contribution to the protection of native forests on public land resulting in the passing of various State legislation and a successful appeal in the Victoria Supreme Court (Court of Appeal) acting on behalf of an environmental activist. I have also been a convenor of an internal ALP campaign to end recreational shooting of native waterbirds, have been elected to various policy committees and am a past President of the ALP Elwood Branch. I am a person of reputable character and have never been threatened with expulsion from the party. I have published a multi-themed literary novel, a collection of poetry and a book on protecting Old-growth forest in Victoria.
A particular community interest for me has been articulating how “political correctness” operates as “political device” in our contemporary democracy to direct and/or oppress constructive discussion and debate. As you would be aware from the legal opinion, I had formed the view that the mishandling of the Frydenberg dual-citizenship case by members of the Federal Parliament exemplified “political correctness” at work. The view was illumined through a historical and legal analysis of the facts surrounding the case.
During the doorstop interview by the media, you were asked a question with reference to Section 44(i) of the Constitution of Australia Act 1900 (Cth) and Joshua Frydenberg MP’s predicament.
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Regards,
Trevor Poulton
Read the letter by Trevor Poulton in Independent Australia.