Roads Minister Melinda Pavey demands Luke Foley step aside for harassment investigation
TWO ministers have harangued Luke Foley over allegations raised in parliament that he harassed an ABC reporter while drunk, with the Opposition Leader not shy to hit back.
NSW
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ROADS Minister Melinda Pavey has used Question Time to call on Opposition Leader Luke Foley to stand aside while he is investigated over allegations raised in parliament last week that he harassed an ABC reporter while drunk.
She said he must apply the same standard to himself as was applied when Member for Prospect Hugh McDermott was under investigation for sexual harassment earlier this year and voluntarily stood aside as chair of a committee.
Mr Foley blasted back, leaning over the lectern saying he was happy to debate the issue but he would target government members.
“We would welcome such a debate but we would amend it to talk about you and you and you and you,” he yelled, pointing the finger at a series of government members.
Better Regulations Minister Matt Kean told Parliament Mr Foley would “do anything” to save his job.
“He will bully his colleagues, he will try to sue the press gallery just to buy their silence,” Mr Kean said.
“He will even lie to save his job.”
Question Time finished before Mr Foley stood up and addressed Mr Kean as he was walking out the door.
“You didn’t have the guts to go on with it, Matt,” Mr Foley yelled across the chamber.
“Don’t let fear hold you back. We haven’t started on you.”
Earlier, senior government strategists and ministers were known to be preparing an attack on Mr Foley, comparing his current situation to the action taken against Mr McDermott.
Mr McDermott voluntarily stood aside from his role in the Waste Watch Committee in March while an investigation into an allegation of sexual harassment was carried out.
Mr McDermott was later cleared of the allegation following an investigation by barrister John Whelan, who was appointed by the Labor Party.
A senior Liberal source said members of the government are pushing for the “plan of attack” for today to focus on accusing Mr Foley of “hypocrisy” for not have standing aside from his duties in the wake of the allegation of harassment being raised in parliament last week.
Mr Foley has strenuously denied the allegations, made in State parliament last week.
In the wake of the Hugh McDermott scandal Mr Foley told media: “There is no place at all for the harassment of women in our Parliament, certainly not in the party I lead.”
A spokesman for Mr Foley said “there is no complaint”.
At the time of the claims, Mr Foley said of Mr McDermott: “I think its proper that he stand aside from performing those duties while these matters are investigated.”
A government minister who was formerly a sex discrimination commissioner and ABC journalist has said the investigation is a “very sensible first step”.
Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward is the first government MP to speak about the allegation publicly.
“In this case the ABC has decided to undertake a review and that is a very sensible first step,” she said.
“A very sensible first step is for the ABC to look at these allegations and consider the matter very carefully, preserving the anonymity of the alleged victim if that is what the victim requires.”
It was revealed overnight that acting managing director of the ABC had committed to investigating the claims.
Senator Eric Abetz grilled ABC boss David Anderson during Senate Estimates last night over why the allegations first raised with the ABC in May by The Australian “never went further”.
“Senator I give you an undertaking that we will investigate the matter and will provide you a response on notice very quickly,” Mr Anderson said.
Mr Abetz also asked Mr Anderson to confirm the journalist had been “moved on from State Parliament” after the incident, alleged to have occurred at a Christmas function in 2016.
“It appears as though in this case the victim was moved on to potentially protect the perpetrator,” Mr Abetz said.
“So we need to look at this exceptionally carefully and I would invite the ABC to do so.”
The harassment claims were made during a debate in parliament last week by Corrective Services Minister David Elliott.
He accused Mr Foley of harassing the ABC journalist at a Martin Place bar after having too much to drink.
Mr Foley has threatened to sue Mr Elliott if he repeats the claims outside of parliament, saying it was “inappropriate” to “misuse parliamentary privilege to smear people without a skerrick of evidence”. In the estimates hearing, Mr Abetz asked Mr Anderson about when it was that he was made aware a complaint had been made by a female journalist “about the activity of the Leader of the Opposition in NSW?”
“Seems strange this allegation of harassment against a female journalist which was notified by email was never followed up and you as acting manager have no knowledge of the allegations that were made and you don’t have a brief ready for us from the allegations in The Daily Telegraph,” he said.
“Given the ABC’s predilection to report on the Me Too movement it seems passing strange that this allegation of harassment against a female journalist, which was notified by email, was never followed up. “
Mr Anderson said he was getting a briefing on the matter and found out about the allegation last week, but the ABC had no “current” claim of sexual harassment.
Mr Abetz told the senate hearing that “the journalist is upset at her treatment”.
He also asked Mr Anderson why an ABC spokesman described the claim to The Daily Telegraph as a “personal issue”.