Adjudication No. 48 (February 1978) [1978] APC 1

ADJUDICATION No. 48 (February 1978)

The Australian Press Council has considered a complaint by Mr. W. D. Lickiss, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General for Queensland, against an article attributed to one

Ric Allen in the Sunday Mail of December 10, 1979, which discussed political matters of which some were stated to have taken place in Cabinet and some were plainly speculation.

As regards those matters which took place in Cabinet the Press Council is not in a position to ascertain whether the author of the article verified them or not, and in accordance with established journalistic principles it cannot inquire into the source of the author's information. Those matters which were speculative were sufficiently identified in the article itself as speculation.

One statement was that the Minister's press officer had told colleagues that he would be the new press secretary to the Deputy Leader and that this was confirmation of the likelihood of Mr. Lickiss being transferred from his portfolio. Mr. Lickiss denies that the confirmation was provided and that the press officer has taken independent action in this regard. Obviously the Press Council cannot determine where the truth of this matter lies.

The Editor of the Sunday Mail has said that when Mr. Lickiss complained to him by telephone on the day the article was published the editor said he would consider publishing in the next issue of the paper any letter or statement Mr. Lickiss might submit on the report now in question, but no letter or statement was received.

On the whole matter, the Council is of opinion that there is no valid ground of complaint. Accordingly it dismisses the complaint.