ABC journalist Ashleigh Raper claims Luke Foley inappropriately touched her
ABC journalist Ashleigh Raper said she was scared she would lose her job by making groping allegations against Luke Foley. Ms Raper today claimed the NSW Opposition leader put his hand inside her underpants at a Christmas function in 2016. READ THE FULL EXPLOSIVE STATEMENT
AN ABC journalist has accused the NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley of inappropriately touching her during a Christmas function.
A statement issued by Ashleigh Raper said Mr Foley “put his hand through a gap in the back of my dress and inside my underpants”.
“He rested his hand on my buttocks.”
Mr Foley has resigned as NSW Labor Party leader — but has reiterated his denials that he harassed an ABC journalist and will launch legal proceedings.
“The first thing I’d like to say is that the allegations against me today, made public by the ABC, are false. I’ve retained solicitors and senior counsels to advise on the immediate commencement of defamation proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia,” Mr Foley said.
“However I can’t fight to clear my name and fight an election at the same time. It’s just not possible to do both. Therefore I am resigning the leadership of the Labor Party effective today. This will enable a new leader to give his or her attention to the task of defeating the Liberal National government.
I will be remaining the member for Auburn and returning to the backbench.”
Mr Foley had previously denied harassing a then unnamed ABC journalist after he was accused in parliament by Corrections Minister David Elliott of harassing the reporter after having “a little bit too much to drink at a party”.
Ms Raper also claims she had two recent phone conversations with Mr Foley. The first was on Sunday when Mr Foley apologised and indicated he would resign on Monday or Wednesday.
MORE:
Labor pushes for Foley to quit over groping claim
Watch Luke Foley’s original denial
On Tuesday, he allegedly called again saying he received legal advice against resigning.
“There are three things I want to come from my decision to make this statement.
“First, women should be able to go about their professional lives and socialise without being subject to this sort of behaviour. And I want it to stop.
“Second, situations like mine should not be discussed in parliament for the sake of political point scoring. And I want it to stop.
“Third, I want to get on with my life.
Foley silent after journalist’s claims
Mr Foley has yet to release a statement or hold a press conference in the wake of the statement being released.
A senior Labor source said it’s expected deputy Labor leader Michael Daley will have the support of the party to take over the leadership if Mr Foley quits.
They also said Mr Foley remaining in parliament as the member for Auburn was untenable and he’d be under pressure to also quit the western Sydney seat which would trigger a by-election.
Mr Foley has been under pressure for weeks over the alleged harassment incident after Mr Elliott raised it under parliamentary privilege on October 18.
Mr Elliott’s outburst triggered speculation among Mr Foley’s Labor colleagues that he would have to quit as leader if any more detail emerged about the incident.
The matter was brought up in federal parliament on October 25 when Senator Eriz Abetz quizzed ABC bosses about how they investigated the incident and when they learned of it.
He lodged over 40 questions with the ABC about the matter.
Foley under sustained questioning
Mr Foley came under sustained questioning from the media on October 29 about the incident including whether he’d had too much to drink that night and if he could remember it.
Ms Raper was never named in the media until she released her statement today.
When the accusations were first raised in parliament, Mr Foley threatened to sue Mr Elliott if he made the remarks outside parliament.
A spokesman said: “Mr Elliott made allegations under parliamentary privilege that were he to repeat outside the parliament, Mr Foley will be forced to take the appropriate action. However Mr Foley said he is more than happy to repeat the fact that Mr Elliott is a grub, in or outside the chamber.”
The ABC also issued a statement saying it was made aware of the incident in April this year.
“At this time ABC management spoke with Ms Raper, who made it clear she did not wish to make a formal complaint or take any action and wished the matter to remain confidential. The ABC respected her wishes but took all steps to ensure Ms Raper received complete management support,” the statement said.
Shorten: ‘It’s a serious matter’
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says allegations against Mr Foley are “shocking”.
“I think they’re shocking allegations and you know there’ll be a process here,” Mr Morrison told reporters in Townsville on Thursday.
“What’s been presented — it’s very, very disturbing, it’s quite shocking.”
Earlier, federal Labor leader Bill Shorten described it as a “serious matter” but declined to comment further.
“I will go away and get acquainted on the facts,” he told reporters in Perth.
Green MP ‘sick’ about claims
NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong said she felt “sick” about what is alleged to have happened to Ms Raper.
“I am so sorry for Ashleigh, I feel sick about what happened to her,” she said.
“This influencing her life. It should be up to men who behave in this manner to stand up and show the guts that they have to actually admit the wrongdoing that they have had.
“I say loud and clear, whenever men engage in this harassment and this intimidation of women, it just has to stop because actually women should be free to participate in society without fear of harassment, without fear of assault and without fear of intimidation.”
Asked whether Mr Foley should step down, Ms Leong said the Labor leader needed to make that decision for himself.
“(He) needs to take a long, hard look at himself and wonder how he got to a situation where he did not admit his wrongdoing,” she said.
“We’re supposed to be in there making laws to protection women from harassment and intimidation and fear so they participate freely in society... instead we’re having a situation where the people who are supposed to make the laws to protect women, they’re part of the problem.”
READ THE FULL STATEMENT BY ASHLEIGH RAPER
This is a position I never wanted to be in and a statement I never intended to make.
But I think the time has come for my voice to be heard, for the following reasons:
The escalation of the public debate, including in state and federal parliament, despite my expressed wish to neither comment nor complain, and the likelihood of ongoing media and political interest.
Two recent phone conversations with the Leader of the New South Wales Opposition Luke Foley.
To set the record straight.
In November 2016 I attended an official Christmas function at New South Wales Parliament House for state political reporters, politicians and their staff.
This is what happened on that night.
The party moved from Parliament House to Martin Place Bar after a number of hours.
Later in the evening, Luke Foley approached a group of people, including me, to say goodnight.
He stood next to me.
He put his hand through a gap in the back of my dress and inside my underpants.
He rested his hand on my buttocks.
I completely froze.
This was witnessed by Sean Nicholls, who was then the state political editor at the Sydney Morning Herald and is now an ABC journalist.
Mr Foley then left the bar.
Sean and I discussed what happened.
As shaken as I was, I decided not to take any action and asked Sean to keep the events in the strictest confidence.
He has honoured that.
I chose not to make a complaint for a number of reasons.
It is clear to me that a woman who is the subject of such behaviour is often the person who suffers once a complaint is made.
I cherished my position as a state political reporter and feared that would be lost.
I also feared the negative impact the publicity could have on me personally and on my young family.
This impact is now being felt profoundly.
When a reporter contacted me earlier this year after hearing about the incident, I informed ABC news management about Mr Foley’s actions.
I told them I didn’t wish to make a complaint or for any further action to be taken.
They respected my request for privacy and have offered me nothing but their absolute care and support.
David Elliot raised the matter in the New South Wales Parliament last month, putting the incident in the public domain.
The matter then became a state and federal political issue and resulted in intense media attention.
This occurred without my involvement or consent.
Last Sunday (4 November) Luke Foley called me on my mobile phone and we had a conversation that lasted 19 minutes.
He said he was sorry and that he was full of remorse for his behaviour towards me at the Press Gallery Christmas function in November 2016.
He told me that he had wanted to talk to me about that night on many occasions over the past two years because, while he was drunk and couldn’t remember all the details of the night, he knew he did something to offend me.
He apologised again and told me, “I’m not a philanderer, I’m not a groper, I’m just a drunk idiot”.
He said he would be resigning as the leader of the New South Wales Labor Party on either the next day (Monday, 5 November) or Wednesday (7 November).
He said he couldn’t resign on the Tuesday because it was Melbourne Cup Day and he didn’t want to be accused of burying the story.
On Tuesday (6 November) Mr Foley called me again.
He repeated his apology and told me he owed me “a lot of contrition”.
He informed me he’d received legal advice not to resign as Opposition Leader.
He indicated he intended to follow that advice.
There are three things I want to come from my decision to make this statement.
First, women should be able to go about their professional lives and socialise without being subject to this sort of behaviour.
And I want it to stop.
Second, situations like mine should not be discussed in parliament for the sake of political point scoring.
And I want it to stop.
Third, I want to get on with my life.
I do not wish to make any further comment.
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