Scott Morrison sorry for News Corp harassment claim

Scott Morrison issues a late-night apology for making an ‘anonymous reference’ to an incident at News Corp rejected by the company.

Scott Morrison during his press conference in Parliament House on Tuesday morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Scott Morrison issued a late-night apology on Tuesday for making an “anonymous reference to an incident at News Ltd that has been rejected by the company” during his press conference earlier that day in which he claimed a woman had been harassed in a female ­toilet.

The Prime Minister said he had no right to make the allegation without the permission of the woman involved and expressed deep regret for the comments.

“In the course of today’s media conference when responding to further questions, I deeply regret my insensitive response to a question from a News Ltd journalist,” the Prime Minister said in his statement.

News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller replies to Scott Morrison’s comments earlier today pic.twitter.com/pZmFpTvq44

— Kylar Loussikian (@kloussikian) March 23, 2021

He acknowledged that News Corp had rejected the claim. “I accept their account. I was wrong to raise it, the emotion of the ­moment is no excuse,” he said.

Mr Morrison also said he especially wished to “apologise to the individual at the centre of the incident and others directly impacted” and conceded that he “had no right to raise this issue, especially without their permission.”

Earlier, News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller had said Mr Morrison had been “wrong” when he publicly suggested the company had been investigating sexual harassment against a female employee. He also said the Prime Minister’s comments ­ had undermined the concept of a confidential complaints process.

The start of the tense exchange between Sky News' Andrew Clennell and the PM: "Doesn't it look like you've lost control of your ministerial staff?"
The PM responds by referencing a HR complaint at News Corp: "Let's not all of us in glass houses get into that." #[e-mail]/BLNlgLsnGI

— Naveen Razik (@naveenjrazik) March 22, 2021

Mr Miller, in a statement, described Mr Morrison’s claim that News Corp was investigating a complaint made about one of its own staff as “extraordinary”.

He said it was “simply untrue and ... undermines the principle that people must be able to raise ­issues safely and in confidence”.

Mr Morrison, in a response to a question from Sky News Australia political editor Andrew Clennell, earlier on Tuesday had said: “Right now you would be aware in your own organisation that there is a person who has had a complaint made against them for harassment of a woman in a women’s ­toilet. And that matter is being pursued by your own HR ­department.

The Prime Minister urged women to come forward to disclose sexual harassment + assault just minutes before he WEAPONISED one of these such disclosures as a defence strategy for his own failings.

I am furious. Women are furious. This is disgraceful. #EnoughIsEnough#auspolpic.twitter.com/wh24jxupmu

— Katy Gallagher (@SenKatyG) March 23, 2021

“You are free to make your ­criticisms and to stand on that pedestal but be careful.”

Mr Miller said the only ­workplace issue dealt with by the company had been a verbal exchange between two News Corp ­employees in Parliament House.

“The exchange was about a ­workplace-related issue,” Mr ­Miller said. “It was not of a sexual nature, it did not take place in a toilet and neither person made a complaint. Following those inquiries, our HR team wrote to one of the ­people involved and the matter was resolved.

“The Prime Minister appears to have joined these two matters and conflated them into an episode of harassment in a ­toilet that is under current ­investigation.”

News Corp is the publisher of The Australian. The verbal exchange involved two women.

Labor seized on the comments, with finance spokeswoman Katy Gallagher saying Mr Morrison had used the complaint “to make up for his own failings”.