Reputations on both sides have been damaged after the extraordinary revelations in the Federal Court in Sydney yesterday during the defamation trial between WA Premier Mark McGowan and mining magnate Clive Palmer.

Private and crass text messages between Mr McGowan, Attorney General John Quigley and billionaire owner of The West Australian Kerry Stokes were laid bare.

In one message, Mr McGowan described Mr Palmer as “the worst Australian who is not in jail.” He also thanked Mr Stokes for his support, and praised front pages on his newspaper that depicted the mining magnate as a cockroach and cane toad.

The State Government applied to have the text exchanges remain confidential, but the court refused the request.

6PR Breakfast host Gareth Parker asked listeners on Thursday morning if the behaviour of Mr Quigley and Mr McGowan was what the public expected of their state leaders.

“Is Clive Palmer so loathsome that the Premier and John Quigley are right when they call Clive ‘a big fat liar’? he asked.

“Defamation trials are meant to be about preserving and protecting reputations, I don’t think anyone has come out of this looking particularly good.”

Press PLAY below to hear Gareth Parker’s editorial on the crass texts.

Image: WAtoday