Former Treasurer John Dawkins denies assault claims aired in ABC show Ms Represented

John Dawkins denies assaulting former Liberal MP Kathy Sullivan in parliament — a claim aired on the program Ms Represented.

Former Labor Treasurer John Dawkins has made a statement to The Australian saying he has been accused of assault in parliament.

Former Labor treasurer John Dawkins has criticised the ABC program Ms Represented over claims he “assaulted” a woman in parliament.

The second episode of the series about sexist behaviour in Canberra — which aired on July 20 — showed footage of Mr Dawkins apparently bumping into then Liberal MP Kathy Sullivan in October 1989.

“Damn near dislocated my shoulder,” Mrs Sullivan told host Annabel Crabb in the episode.

In a statement to The Australian, Mr Dawkins said he was “unconscious of making contact” with Ms Sullivan but “accepted that it may well have happened” and he had apologised.

“Now, in an interview with Ms Crabb 31 years later, Mrs Sullivan recounts the matter in explosive terms and in the context of more recent misogynistic and quite appalling behaviour by male members of the parliament and in the #metoo era where women are expected to be believed,” he writes.

“At no time did the creators of the program approach me for comment.”

Mrs Sullivan mentions Mr Dawkins’ apology in the episode.

Mr Dawkins was also mentioned in a commentary article by Liberal MP Nicolle Flint, which was published online in The Australian on July 21.

Annabel Crabb

Nicole Flint. Picture: Gary Ramage

John Dawkins statement to The Australian

In her otherwise quite balanced critique of the ABC series Ms Represented, Nicolle Flint MP, (The Australian 22 July) cites me as one those involved in “bad behaviour” and includes me amongst some rather objectionable company.

As the sole source of Ms Flint’s information appears to be this shoddy show produced by the ‘Entertainment’ section of the ABC, Ms Flint like other viewers has been sorely misled.

In episode 2 of the show, which was accessible on iView prior to its edited broadcast on 20 July, I am accused by Mrs (Kathy) Sullivan, a former MP, of “assault” and having “shouldered” her with sufficient force to “damn near dislocate (her) shoulder”.

The incident to which Mrs Sullivan refers, occurred in October 1989 as members of the House of Representatives crossed the chamber during a division, and when there was an accidental contact between me and Mrs Sullivan of which at the time I was unaware.

Mrs Sullivan urged her then parliamentary leader (the late Mr Peacock) to politically prosecute the matter as an assault.

Mr Peacock declined to do so, and having viewed the vision, he explained it, according to Mrs Sullivan, as an “accidental bump”.

Liberals Kathy Sullivan and Andrew Peacock in 1983. Picture: Glen Cameron

Mr Peacock raised Mrs Sullivan’s complaint with me and asked me to talk to her.

I approached Mrs Sullivan and although I was unconscious of making contact with her I accepted that it may well have happened and I offered her an apology which she accepted.

Now, in an interview with Ms Crabb 31 years later Mrs Sullivan recounts the matter in explosive terms and in the context of more recent misogynistic and quite appalling behaviour by male members of the parliament and in the #metoo era where women are expected to be believed.

At no time did the creators of the program approach me for comment.

And until I suggested it to the ABC Managing Director, nor did they consult the vision of the incident which is still available from parliamentary broadcasting.

The better quality and more extensive vision, rather than the blurred and brief and microscopic vision used in the show, contradicts Mrs Sullivan’s latter day account of an intentional “assault”.

The ABC declined my request to remove Mrs Sullivan’s account from the show opting to edit the reference to “assault” but leaving in the reference to shouldering that implies, especially in AFL parlance, an intentional physical contact of a fairly aggressive kind.

It is hardly the kind of conduct that would have gone unnoticed nor uncondemned in the public and visually recorded arena of parliament – and in any case it didn’t happen. It is an invention.

Ms Flint complains of political bias while I lament the decline in the standards at the ABC of which this is just the latest example, and alas, in my case, the character assassination masquerading as “entertainment”.

John Dawkins is a former Labor MP who was Treasurer in the Keating government.