Reports this week show how much it has cost so far to defend former Queensland premier Campbell Newman against defamation claims.

The former Newman government's public fights with political enemies have cost almost $250,000 in legal fees, according to documents obtained by the ABC under Right to Information laws.

The former Newman Government collectively faces four defamation claims, levelled against Newman, his former deputy Jeff Seeney, and former energy minister Mark McArdle

The first came when Newman referred to lawyers defending bikies as “hired guns”, allegedly referring to Gold Coast lawyer Chris Hannay in particular.

“They are part of the machine, part of the criminal gang machine,” Mr Newman told reporters in 2014.

Mr Hannay responded with a $1.2 million defamation action, which has cost the Queensland Government over $51,673 so far to defend.

Mr Newman then sought to take a swing at Federal MP and businessman, Clive Palmer.

“This is a guy who tried to buy a state government — my government,” Newman said at a media conference with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, broadcast live on television.

Mr Palmer hit back with a million-dollar defamation claim, which has so far cost over $43,213 to defend.

The biggest single bill has come from the defence of former deputy premier Jeff Seeney, after he claimed that Mr Palmer had asked for special treatment on mine plans.

Taxpayers have spent over $139,778 defending Seeney in that case.

On the relatively cheap end, the Electrical Trades Union forced the Government to get over $11,063 worth of legal advice on the union’s threat of defamation against former energy minister Mark McArdle.

In total, Queensland residents have spent $248,650.45 defending a government it voted out just months after the alleged defamation was made.

The lawsuits from Mr Palmer and Mr Hannay are going through the court process, but are yet to reach trial.