News Limited was willing to pay dearly for this story not to be published. It first offered a $110,000 payment, plus a private apology, to avoid going to court. But the price it demanded was that the matter be kept confidential. The company was told to take a jump. See you in court.
The Daily Telegraph had published four stories about Michael Towke which he believed had defamed him, destroyed his political career, and caused untold stress to his family. ”These stories sent my mother to hospital,” he told me. ”They demonised me. I wanted to confront them in court.”
But a court was not where News wanted to see Towke. ”They spent a lot of money fighting me,” he said. ”Their lawyers made me jump through every hoop. They asked me 30 pages of questions.”
Near the eve of the court date, lawyers for the subsidiary which publishes the Telegraph, Nationwide News Pty Ltd, offered the confidentiality package, which Towke emphatically rejected.
On the eve of the trial, Nationwide came up with another offer: $50,000, plus costs, plus removing the offending articles from the internet and dropping the confidentiality requirement. On the advice of counsel, Towke accepted.
He was never willing to accept any settlement that was confidential, despite the risk that entailed. ”I was willing to bankrupt myself to clear my name,” he said.
Here is his story …
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Though Towke would eventually win his legal war, the damage had been done. The adverse media coverage set in train a reaction within the party to get rid of him. A second ballot was ordered, in which the balance of power was shifted away from the grassroots in Cook and to the state executive. The second ballot gave the preselection to Scott Morrison. Amazing. He had been parachuted into the seat over Towke’s political carcass. Morrison clearly had backers who wanted him to get the seat. ”These guys were prepared to ruin my life,” Towke said.
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