Attorney General Christian Porter has slammed the ABC for a lack of proper media inquiry into the sexual assault allegations laid against him before taking the story to air last Friday.
The Attorney General faced the media in Perth to issue an emotional denial to allegations he raped a woman in the 1980s.
The minister said he won't be standing aside from Cabinet but will consider legal proceedings against media outlets who have levelled accusations against him.
After the news conference a spokesperson clarified comments made by Mr Porter on Wednesday where he suggested the allegations of assault had not been properly put to him by media.
In the statement, the spokesperson said Mr Porter's comments accusing media of a lack of proper inquiry did not extend to all journalists but were instead focused on the ABC who aired the story on Friday, allegedly without giving him prior opportunity to respond.
The woman who accused Attorney-General Christian Porter of sexual assault told NSW Police investigators that she had health problems including a mental health condition where she disassociates .
The matter is far from closed Crikey 4/03/2021 DENY, DEFLECT, DEFER
Note: This story discusses sexual assault and suicide.
Pressure is mounting on
Scott Morrison to call an independent investigation after
Christian Porter yesterday denied historical rape allegations by a now-deceased woman, with lawyer for the alleged victim
Michael Bradley reiterating the proposal at
Dyson Heydon, although Albanese also cites a potential coronial inquiry. On that note,
9News reports that South Australia’s state coroner David Whittle has called on state police to continue investigating her death before he decides whether to launch an inquest.
The news comes after Porter strongly denied the allegations or ever having had sex with the woman on the trip in question; accused the ABC of not providing him with “substantive” allegations before publishing last Friday’s story, and alleged he has since been subject to “public trial by media”; declared he would not resign and t