The Democratic Labour Party has written to the Palmer United Party scotching talk of joint legal action against defectors John Madigan and Glenn Lazarus.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Palmer United Party issued a media statement earlier this month saying it had "commenced discussions" with the DLP over launching joint High Court action against former DLP senator John Madigan and former PUP senator Glenn Lazarus.
But a letter obtained by Fairfax Media shows the DLP federal secretary Michael Byrne wrote to PUP leader Clive Palmer the next day, telling him no such legal action exists or is likely to occur.
"I advise that no such case, nor has its likelihood ever been discussed at the federal executive," Mr Byrne wrote.
"We understand that this is also the case with the Victorian branch of the DLP," he said.
When contacted to confirm the letter's authenticity, Mr Byrne said the party had received legal advice that any challenge to Senator Madigan's decision to quit the party but hold onto the Senate seat would fail.
"There's no formal discussion [about a court case] through our official channels about taking on Madigan because we've been advised there's no real legal foundation [to such action]," he said.
Mr Palmer claimed not to know about the DLP's letter as he had been overseas last week and the matter was for the party organisation and not the parliamentary party.
"It's not a matter for me personally," Mr Palmer said
"It's a party matter and its matter for the national director Peter Burke," he said.
Fairfax Media understands talks first commenced between the PUP and DLP via a disgruntled former staffer of Senator John Madigan's who was not even a member of the party at the time and has only rejoined the DLP in the last few days. He first contacted the PUP when Jacqui Lambie quit and sat as an independent for Tasmania last year.
But a PUP official only responded when the same operative made contact after Senator Lazurus' shock defection from the party earlier this month.
A spokesman for PUP confirmed they had been in talks with the DLP's acting secretary in Victoria, Clara Geoghegan. Ms Geoghegan did not respond to calls on Wednesday.
