Senator Sam McMahon shared her truth but it failed to register

Senator Sam McMahon could be forgiven for wondering why the #metoo movement doesn’t apply to her. She shared her truth, but it was met with silence, writes MATT CUNNINGHAM

WHAT is it about Sam McMahon?

Is it her rough and ready nature? Is it the fact she likes a beer? Maybe it’s just because she comes from the Northern Territory?

Whatever the reason, there must be something.

Because for some strange reason, she seems immune from the outrage usually associated with cases like hers during this new era of #metoo enlightenment.

During her valedictory speech in the federal parliament this week, Senator McMahon detailed allegations of abuse she said she and other members of her office had been subjected to by a former staffer.

“My reason to resign (from the Country Liberal Party) was driven entirely by my former staff member Jason Riley, who did abuse and terrorise my office including myself, and the party’s decision to place him in a position on their central council,” she told the Senate.

“To have to sit in meetings with such a person was a very stressful experience and one that has not been without me seeking out professional assistance to overcome the anxiety and PTSD it created.”

It was first reported in 2020 that police had investigated a physical altercation between Senator McMahon and Mr Riley at a property in Darwin’s rural area.

Senator Sam McMahon and Matt Canavan in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage.

No charges were laid and Mr Riley has never given his account of these events.

He again declined to comment this week.

There are some other importance nuances to this story that should also be considered.

Senator McMahon continued to employ Mr Riley for a period after the altercation.

Other staff also complained that she did not do enough to protect them from Mr Riley’s alleged behaviour.

But such nuance has never been considered in other prominent cases involving the alleged abuse of women in politics.

The fact allegations might be untested has been trumped by the need to support victims.

There’s been widespread, bipartisan support for Brittany Higgins, a former Coalition staffer allegedly raped in the office of then Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.

Everyone from the Prime Minister down has expressed an opinion.

The coverage of the issue has been so extensive that ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallam warned last month that the more the allegations continued to be ventilated in public forums the “more likely the accused (Bruce Lehrmann) will not be able to receive a fair trial”.

Former Attorney-General Christian Porter’s career was effectively ended by untested historical rape allegations.

The rape was alleged to have occurred in 1988 when he was 17 and the woman involved was a year younger.

Grace Tame said a women’s truth when it comes to assault is “your power”. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards.

His alleged victim had died and police had closed an investigation because of insufficient admissible evidence.

But that didn’t stop a wave of sympathy for his alleged victim and calls for an independent investigation separate from the judicial process.

As Mr Porter was outing himself as the politician at the centre of these allegations, following weeks of media speculation, Australian of the Year and sexual assault survivor Grace Tame was addressing the National Press Club.

“To my fellow survivors: it is our time,” she said.

“We need to take this opportunity. We need to be bold and courageous.

“Recognise that we have a platform on which I stand with you in solidarity and support. “Share your truth. It is your power. One voice, your voice and our collective voices can make a difference.

“We are on the precipice of a revolution whose call to action needs to be heard loud and clear.”

These are necessary and powerful words.

But Senator McMahon could be forgiven for wondering why they don’t apply to her.

She shared her truth but it was met with silence.

Her voice doesn’t appear to be part of any collective and she appears to have been excluded from this pending revolution.

Other women from the Northern Territory might understand how she feels.

Consider, for example, the complete lack of national outrage over allegations NT Treaty Commissioner and former Australian of the Year Mick Dodson had verbally abused women, even calling one a “slut” and threatening to “knock her f--king lights out”.

Why is it that so many Territory women don’t seem to receive the same support from the #metoo movement?

Originally published as Senator Sam McMahon shared her truth but it failed to register