Auditor General back in court over legal fees dispute

State to fight bid to force it to pay $1.7 million to law firm

Legal stoush comes after auditor made 'false and misleading' statements about costs

The auditor-general is back in court in a bid to force the state government to pay $1.7 million in legal fees. It comes after the auditor made "false and misleading" statements about the costs while the state continues to fight the bid.

The stoush is the latest in a long-running dispute between the auditor-general and the state government over legal fees. In 2017, the auditor-general was ordered to pay $1.7 million to law firm Minter Ellison after the firm successfully defended the auditor in a defamation case.

However, the state government refused to pay the bill, arguing that the auditor-general had made "false and misleading" statements about the costs. The state government also argued that the auditor-general had not followed proper procurement procedures.

The auditor-general has now launched legal action in a bid to force the state government to pay the bill. The case is due to be heard in the Supreme Court in the next few months.

The state government has indicated that it will continue to fight the bid, arguing that the auditor-general is not entitled to the money. The government has also said that it will seek to recover the costs of the legal action from the auditor-general.

The dispute is the latest in a series of legal battles between the auditor-general and the state government. In recent years, the auditor-general has been critical of the government's financial management. The government has accused the auditor-general of being politically motivated.