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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Christopher Knaus

Coalition government spent $6m prosecuting Bernard Collaery and three other whistleblowers

ACT barrister, lawyer and former politician Bernard Collaery arrives at the ACT courts on 16th September 2021.
Coalition government spent $4.42m on external legal costs associated with prosecutions of Witness K and Bernard Collaery. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

The former Coalition government spent almost $6m prosecuting Bernard Collaery, Witness K, Richard Boyle and David McBride over their actions in exposing wrongdoing and misconduct, new data shows.

Figures provided to the Guardian show the costs of the prosecutions has almost doubled in two years, leaving taxpayers with an exorbitant legal bill well before the cases have reached trial.

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