Jones accuses Wagners of Qantas bribery
By Shae McDonald
18 May 2018 — 4:38pm
Alan Jones denies he has a bitter hatred for the Wagner family and a desire to see them fail but has maintained his accusation they could have bribed Qantas.
The talkback radio host engaged in a series of fiery cross-examination exchanges in his second day in the witness box in the Brisbane Supreme Court.
Alan Jones is seen entering the Supreme Court in Brisbane, Friday, May 18.
Photo: AAP Image/Glenn Hunt
The Wagner brothers are suing Jones, Harbour Radio, 4BC and writer Nick Cater for $4.8 million over 32 broadcasts relating to the 2011 Queensland floods between 2014 and 2015.
John, Denis, Neill and Joe Wagner claim they were accused of the deaths of 12 people in the town of Grantham during the floods when one of the walls of a quarry they owned collapsed.
They also allege they were accused of a high-level cover-up with politicians, as well as corruption and intimidation, relating to their Wellcamp Airport.
Jones told the court he'd raised his concerns about air space and the approvals process for the Toowoomba facility with Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, and his recollection was he agreed with him.
Alan Jones told the court he'd raised his concerns about the Toowoomba facility with Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, pictured.
Photo: Nick Moir
That's why, he said, he was taken by surprise when he learned the airline was going to start flying into the airport.
"Are you seriously telling me that you're flying planes into Wellcamp after all the discussions we've had?," he said in an email to Mr Joyce.
Barrister Tom Blackburn SC said Jones then accused the Wagners of bribing Qantas.
"I think I used that word because I noted in his letter ... that he had agreed to fly in because the offer is commercially very attractive," the radio broadcaster said.
"When I saw that I thought ... if it's commercially attractive some inducement has been given for Qantas to fly in."
Jones said he believed the conclusion he drew was "perfectly legitimate".
"What word would you use, an inducement, a bribe?" he asked Mr Blackburn.
"Would they have flown in if they had to meet orthodox commercial requirements?"
Amid the pair's fiery exchanges on Friday, Jones was forced to deny he had a bitter hatred for the Wagners, was careless with the truth and wilfully blind to information that didn't suit his narrative.
"I don't hate people, I'm only trying to express the concerns of those expressed to me by the community," he said.
Mr Blackburn also asked Jones if he had heard the phrase "willing to wound but afraid to strike".
"I'm willing to wound and strike if necessary, Mr Blackburn," he said in response.
Earlier, Mr Blackburn attempted to add 35 broadcasts from 2011 to 2015 to the defamation proceedings.
He said most of the proposed additions addressed the same issues as those already part of the trial.
He claimed they went to the issue of aggravated damages because they showed Jones and Cater were "motivated by a desire to injure the plaintiffs' reputation".
Justice Peter Flanagan said he received no explanation for why the broadcasts weren't made available to Jones when the trial started three weeks ago.
He refused to allow Jones be cross-examined on those broadcasts until his legal team had time to go over them.
Mr Blackburn withdrew his application, but said he may re-lodge it at a later date.
Jones will continue giving evidence on Monday.
AAP