Christian Porter to disclose any legal donations

Christian Porter may accept donations to help fund his defamation action against the ABC, which he says will be a ‘massive drain’ on his finances.

Christian Porter may accept donations to help fund his defamation action against the ABC, which he says will be a “massive drain” on his finances.

The former attorney-general, who earns $364,400 as a cabinet minister, also urged the public broadcaster to be “expeditious” in legal proceedings in order to keep costs down.

In one of his first media interviews since outing himself as the cabinet minister at the centre of an historical rape allegation, which he vehemently denies, Mr Porter refused to say if he would run at the federal election due by May next year.

“Everyone likes elections,” he told Sky News when questioned on whether he would contest.

“I’m just completely committed to my electorate and I’m completely committed to the government.”

Mr Porter, who is now Industry, Science and Technology Minister, is suing the ABC and Milligan over an online article published on February 26, which reported that an unnamed cabinet minister was facing an historical rape allegation.

He said he was inundated with messages of support and empathy when he returned from a short period of mental health leave and received “completely unsolicited” offers of money.

“I’m not at the point where I’m crowd-funding,” Mr Porter said.

“People emailed in spontaneously with offers of support of all different types but I haven’t taken people up on those emails.

“I’m doing what I need to do to pay for litigation and that’s going to be a massive drain on me. If at any point in time anything arises that requires me to make disclosures that members of parliament regularly do, of course I’ll do that.”

After the Federal Court heard ABC journalist Louise Milligan advised a friend of Mr Porter’s alleged rape victim to delete messages they exchanged from her phone, the Minister said nothing should surprise him but people would be “a bit disappointed”.

“The ABC is obviously the only side in this matter that’s taxpayer-funded and I hope that they’ll conduct the litigation according to their obligations as a model litigant and do everything they can to make it expeditious and to not argue things that don’t need to be argued and to keep the costs down,” he said.

“(Legal action) comes at a great cost, financial, personal. But if you think that’s what you’ve got to do to clear your name.”