ABC managing director stands by the decision to withhold Louise Milligan defamation documents

The public broadcaster has told a Senate committee it won’t hand over documents relating to the defamation action taken against reporter Louise Milligan.

ABC reporter Louise Milligan. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

The ABC has defended its decision to refuse to disclose documents detailing the handling of reporter Louise Milligan’s defamation case, in which she falsely accused former Liberal MP Andrew Laming of taking an “upskirting” photo of a woman.

A letter dated February 28 from ABC managing director David Anderson to the Senate environment and communications legislation committee states “the ABC contends that disclosure of the documents is not in the public interest, especially … in circumstances where the outcome of the code of conduct matter is already on the public record”.

“Disclosure of the documents would not further elucidate the issue but may expose the individual to harm, which the ABC as an employer has a duty to protect against,” the letter says.

The letter was written to explain the ABC’s reasons to stand by its public interest immunity claim, which prevents the public disclosure of documents because they would be prejudicial to the public interest.

It comes despite senior parliamentary official Richard Pye previously informing the committee additional information on the matter could be requested.

In 2021, Milligan used her Twitter account to publish a tweet that read, “Laming upskirts”, which wrongly accused Dr Laming of taking a lewd photo of a woman without her permission.

Dr Laming took legal action and the dispute cost taxpayers more than $200,000.

The Senate committee’s chairwoman, Labor Senator Karen Grogan, said the committee was yet to make a decision on the matter following Mr Anderson’s correspondence.