‘Outrageous’ allegations aired in ex-One Nation and United Australia Party senator Brian Burston’s defamation case
An ex-senator who reported a female staff member to police hoped she “got a good lashing” and complained about her sex life, a court has been told.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A former Australian senator told a female staff member that he hoped she “got a good lashing”, complained about her sex life and reported her to police for allegedly stealing a painting she gave him as a gift, a court has been told.
Details of Brian Burston’s dispute with the former staffer came to light after he sued One Nation party leader Pauline Hanson, alleging she defamed him on social media and by airing sexual harassment complaint allegations.
Mr Burston, 74, returned on Wednesday to the Federal Court witness box where he was subject to questioning about his treatment of former staff.
Ms Hanson’s barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC told the court that as a form of payback, in December 2018 Mr Burston called an employment review meeting and raised concerns about how his former staffer Terrie-Lea Vairy had consumed alcohol at a previous event.
“She rejected your advances and you were paying her back … you found out she had a relationship with Senator (Peter) Georgiou … you concocted trumped-up allegations against her and this was one of them,” Ms Chrystanthou said.
Mr Burston denied Ms Chrystanthou’s claims and alleged his former One Nation Senate colleague Peter Georgiou had complained about Ms Vairy making contact while intoxicated.
In the month after the employment review meeting, the court was told that Mr Burston reported Ms Vairy to police about the theft of rings that were stolen in September 2018.
“My mother-in-law was robbed of her jewellery while she slept in her house,” Mr Burston explained.
“Terri-Lea brought in a set of rings and said ‘are these the rings stolen?’”
Mr Burston denied the suggestion the police report was an attempt to discredit Ms Vairy and said he never reported the theft earlier because “it was a busy time of the year”.
Ms Vairy’s conduct is not the subject of legal proceedings and News Corp does not suggest she has engaged in any wrongdoing.
“I never tried to discredit any of my staff,” Mr Burston told the court.
After Ms Vairy disputed the concerns Mr Burston expressed in the employment review meeting, the court was told that her employment was threatened and she went on stress leave.
Mr Burston then made another report to police about the alleged removal of a painting and plates from his office.
“She (Ms Vairy) gave it to me and said ‘here’s a painting, nobody likes it in the office’,” Mr Burston said.
“It was an oil painting of a forestscape, if I can put it that way, full of trees.
“She said these (plates) have been sitting around for ages, you can have them too.
Mr Burston said the painting was “badly damaged” and he used $456 of taxpayers’ money to get it reframed.
“The ownership, in my view, changed and I spent commonwealth money to have them reframed specifically to display in the office.,” he said.
“She (Ms Vairy) actually helped me select the frame. She stole commonwealth property.”
Ms Chrysanthou said “after you sent her (Ms Vairy) a letter threatening her employment and making allegations about her, she took those items back … you are a disgraceful employer”.
Mr Burston hit back at that suggestion and said he treated his staff with respect.
“They had a great employment lifestyle arrangement with me,” he told the court.
In a claim Ms Vairy later made with Comcare, the national workers’ compensation authority, the court was told Mr Burston was alleged to have told her “he hoped I got a good lashing”.
“I recall that was in response to going to a beautician for eyelash extensions, that’s just my warped sense of humour,” Mr Burston explained.
A claim he sent Ms Vairy messages with repeated references to hugs and kisses was also denied by Mr Burston, who suggested the word “repeatedly” meant excessively.
“I did that at a time when Ms Vairy was going through a very dark period,” he said.
A message saying “I love you” was also sent by Mr Burston around the same time, the court was told.
Another claim by Ms Vary – who suggested Mr Burston gave her a birthday card and when she tried to hang it back he tried to shove it down her top – was also denied and the court was told Ms Vairy’s Comcare claim was dismissed.
“I never give cards on special occasions, not even birthdays, as they are a waste of money,” Mr Burston told the court.
In response to the issues raised in Ms Vairy’s Comcare claim, Mr Burston told the court he believed she continually flirted with him because he was sent a photo of her with other women that had a caption underneath it that said “Charlie’s Angels … Brian’s angels”.
“I take that as a flirting gesture,” he said.
No other examples of alleged flirting were mentioned in court.
The court was told that after Mr Burston had reported Ms Vairy to police he sent a letter to a senior staff member at the Department of Finance.
“I am concerned about her state of mind,” he wrote in the letter, which the court was told also included references to Ms Vairy allegedly drinking heavily throughout the day and constantly phoning Senator Hanson’s office in a state of distress.
The court was told the letter Mr Burston wrote also contained a complaint that alleged Ms Vairy and the then Senator Georgiou were having sex “between their taxpayer funded apartments”.
Mr Burston said he could not recall referring to another staff member as a “numb nut” or smearing blood on Senator Hanson’s office door, but he accepted CCTV showed him doing that.
The court was told that during Mr Burston’s three years in the Senate four of his staffers resigned, four were sacked and another two never made it beyond probationary periods.
Mr Burston said Senator Hanson’s comments about him and the sexual harassment allegations were “outrageous”.
“I’ve never been investigated for sexual harassment,” he said.
Mr Burston claimed Senator Hanson sexually harassed him.
He quit One Nation in mid-2018 and became a member of Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party.
The hearing continues.
Originally published as ‘Outrageous’ allegations aired in ex-One Nation and United Australia Party senator Brian Burston’s defamation case
Queens Wharf investors refunded millions after contracts cancelled
Investors in a luxury tower at Queens Wharf have been refunded millions of dollars in deposits, with interest, after the developer confirmed the project faces three-year delays.
Long-awaited Brisbane Metro buses hit city streets today
It has been plagued by cost blowouts and delays, but the long-awaited Brisbane Metro will finally start operations today, changing the face of public transport in the river city.