Joyce to have pie man charged

Alan Joyce says he will press charges against the same-sex opponent who hit him in the face with a lemon meringue pie.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce attacked with a cream pie at a West Leadership Matters breakfast in Perth. Picture The West Australian

Qantas boss Alan Joyce says he is going to press charges against the same-sex opponent who hit him in the face with a lemon meringue pie, and insisted the attack has only made him more determined to fight for marriage equality.

Devout Christian Tony Overheu, 67, this morning confirmed that his motivation for the attack on Mr Joyce as he gave a speech in Perth yesterday was the CEO’s opposition to corporations which engage in “social engineering”.

Mr Joyce said the event would not stop him expressing his views on social and corporate community issues.

“That event is not going to have that desired outcome,” he said.

“I have every intention to continue to be vocal on those social and community issues.

“It’s important for our shareholders, our employees, and our customers. It’s called good corporate social responsibility.

“Qantas has always spoken up on gender issues, on LGBTI issues, on Indigenous issues and we will continue to do so and no attempt at bullying us into suppressing our voice will work.”

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton memorably called for Mr Joyce and more than 30 other CEOs to “stick to their knitting” earlier this year, when they signed a petition calling for the government to abandon its plebiscite policy and deliver allow a free vote in parliament on same sex marriage.

Mr Joyce said he would continue to speak out.

“My response is very clearly we live in a democracy,” he said.

“Democracy works when people respect each other’s voices, are allowed to talk, be vocal, allowed to say what we believe.

“Certainly what happened yesterday has reinvigorated me in actual fact. It’s really encouraged me to be out there and to continue to be out there and express my views even more strongly than I have done in the past.”

Police have charged Mr Overheu with giving false details but Mr Joyce said he intended to press further charges over the ­alleged assault.

If the incident had occurred in NSW, it could have fallen under the state’s hate laws. University of Sydney criminology professor Gail Mason said while there were no jurisdictions in Australia where it was possible to charge a person with a hate crime on its own, sentencing laws in NSW ­allowed for penalties to be ­increased when an offence also involved a hatred or prejudice against a group of people.

“If a crime is motivated by ­hatred or prejudice or against a group of people to which the perpetrator believes the victim ­belongs ... it could be an aggravating factor in sentencing,” Dr Mason said.

WA had similar sentencing provisions, but those penalties ­related only to race matters.

Supporters of same-sex marriage yesterday claimed Immigration Minister Peter Dutton should shoulder some responsibility for the incident.

In March Mr Dutton called for Mr Joyce and more than 30 other chief executives to “stick to their knitting” after they signed a petition calling for the government to abandon its plebiscite policy and allow a free vote on same-sex marriage.

“Mr Dutton may not have thrown the pie but his comments created a climate of resentment and loathing towards business leaders who support marriage equality,” said Ivan Hinton-Teoh, a spokesman for the just.equal lobby group. “He has a respon­sibility to make it clear that all civil and respectful voices have a valued place in the ... debate.”

Liberal senator Eric Abetz, an opponent of same-sex marriage, condemned the ­attack. “Resorting to acts such as this is simply wrong,” he said.

‘Meringue pie does less damage’

The 67-year-old former farmer who struck Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce in the face with a lemon meringue pie at a business breakfast yesterday has revealed he was not challenged as he walked into the invitation only event and sat on stage “for a couple of hours” waiting for his moment.

Tony Overheu has confirmed his motive for the extraordinary attack on Mr Joyce; the devout Christian says he is appalled by corporations that engage in “social engineering”.

Mr Overheu is understood to object to Qantas’ support for same sex marriage and on talkback radio this morning he read a letter he had sent to The Australian newspaper and The West Australian newspaper on Monday criticising Airbnb’s billboard campaign lobbying MPs to back gay marriage.

“CEO’s need to respect Australia is a democracy where backdoor attempts to subvert the clear wishes of the overwhelming majority will cost companies bottom lines,” Mr Overheu wrote.

“Alan Joyce is paid $13 million to run airlines not bulldoze Australia socially against its will.”

Mr Overheu told 6pr he believed middle Australia shared his views.

“The individual has become overridden in our society by major special interest groups,” he said.

“Why did Trump get elected? Why did Brexit go through?”

Mr Overheu said he chose a lemon meringue pie for his attack at the event, run by The West Australian newspaper, because it was least likely to cause damage to Mr Joyce.

He paid $25.95 for it on Monday night and wrapped it like a birthday present. He said he left his home in Perth’s southern suburbs at 6am yesterday in his ute with the pie and drove to the CBD, parking in a street near the Hyatt hotel where he knew Mr Joyce would speak.

“I walked in the front door through the lobby into the auditorium past the staff and the techo doing techo stuff and onto the stage behind the screen but in front of the curtain,” he told 6pr.

“There was a 500mm gap. I sat down in the middle of that and waited for a couple of hours until everyone sat down and had breakfast and Alan Joyce was introduced.”

Mr Overheu said he had learned in Year 11 civics 50 years ago “be prepared to get involved”.

But his own family was outraged and he said his wife was “at my throat”.

He says he had sent an unreserved apology to Mr Joyce.