Former Housing Minister Bruce Flegg has defended his lobbyist son Jonathan over email exchanges FORMER housing minister Bruce Flegg says seven email exchanges between himself and his son Jonathan, who was working for a lobbying firm at the time, were personal, new court documents reveal. Dr Flegg is suing his former friend and media adviser Graeme Hallett for $800,000 for alleged defamation. The former minister claims Mr Hallett defamed him on three occasions in November last year, including at a press conference a day after the adviser was sacked and in a radio interview. Mr Hallett, who had accused Dr Flegg of failing to disclose contact between his office and his son Jonathan, who worked for lobbyist firm Rowland, is defending the claim. He has lodged a counterclaim for $100,000. Dr Flegg, who stood down as minister in November last year, has denied any wrongdoing. On Wednesday Dr Flegg filed further information in the Supreme Court in reply to Mr Hallett's defence. Mr Hallett claimed there had been 47 email exchanges between Jonathan Flegg and Dr Flegg, or his electorate or ministerial offices, between April 1 and October 31 last year. Mr Hallett is relying on the emails as his lawful excuse under the Public Interest Disclosure Act for airing publicly his allegation that there was undeclared lobbyist contact. In the latest document Dr Flegg says only seven of the email exchanges were between him and his son, each was of a personal nature and none of them related to lobbying. Five were from Dr Flegg to Jonathan Flegg and two were from Jonathan to Dr Flegg, with three exchanges marked "Re: Confidential" in the subject line, the document shows. One sent on September 11, 2012, from the then minister to Jonathan Flegg, was listed as "Re: Letter to Minister for Public Works and Housing," according to the document. Dr Flegg also claims he told his chief-of-staff Fraser Stephen the lobbying register was to be kept accurately. He claims in the document Mr Stephen communicated those instructions to ministerial office staff at a meeting in May last year. Dr Flegg's statement says Mr Stephen used words to the effect of "it is really important any meetings with lobbyists are recorded in the register." He claims Mr Stephen also told them staff of the Office of the Minister for Housing and Public Works were responsible for recording such meetings.