Setka wife Emma Walters reveals she’s the victim

John Setka’s wife has defended the embattled union leader after revealing herself to be the victim of harassment charges.

Emma Walters with her husband John Setka yesterday after he pleaded guilty to harassment. Picture: Mark Stewart

John Setka’s wife Emma Walters has launched a staunch defence of the embattled union leader after revealing herself to be the victim of harassment charges, to which he yesterday pleaded guilty.

Mr Setka was ordered to participate in a “men’s behavioural change program” and pay $1000 to an Aboriginal legal service that deals with family violence, after pleading guilty to harassing a woman using a carriage service and breaching a court order.

“I have spoken in support of John as ‘the woman’ at the centre of all of this,’’ Ms Walters said outside court.

“Despite a lot of rumou­r and innuen­do there is no one else involve­d but John and I. The truth of this story is that it is simply about my husband and I trying to put our lives back together.”

The Melbourne Magistrates Court heard the charges related to dozens of text messages and unanswered phone calls from Mr Setka made last October and between December 31 and January 3.

GRAPHIC: Setka’s rap sheet

Magistrate Belinda Wallington said the language of the texts sent by Setka — which described a woman as a “f..king dog” and a “c..t” — was nasty and misogynistic. The court heard that, on the night of October 29, Mr Setka made about 25 unanswered phone calls and sent 45 text messages, includin­g ones that called her “a treacherous Aussie f..kin c..t” and a “f..ken dog”.

“Your dad would be so proud of you, you turned into a drunken moron … you weak f..ken piece of shit,” he said in another, according to court documents.

“The language, the misogynistic language in the texts, is what’s causing concern,” Ms Wallington said.

Outside court, Ms Walters said her husband was not a misogynist.

“I’m his wife, he talks to me more than any of you and I’m saying he’s not a misogynist,” she said.

“Has he said inappropriate things? Has he apologised? Have I accepted that apology? The answer­ is yes.”

Mr Setka said he would not resign as secretary of the CFMEU’s construction division in Victoria, following calls for him to do so by ACTU secretary Sally McManus.

Anthony Albanese has also launched a push to have him expelled­ from the Labor Party.

The ACTU yesterday stood by its call for Mr Setka to resign. “We have made our position clear on this matter,” an ACTU spokesman said, but declined to comment ­further.

The ACTU call has been publicly backed by 13 unions, while Mr Setka has the support of a number of Victorian left-wing unions, ­including the state branch of the Electrical Trades Union.

“The ETU stands in solidarity with long-term friends of our union, Emma Walters and John Setka,” it said yesterday.

“We wish them all the best as they work to put their lives back together after a number of difficult years.”

Federal Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter said Mr Setka should resign, given “his track record” of conduct.

In a statement he read aloud outside court, Mr Setka said: “I screwed up. And it’s up to me to fix it. I want to apologise to my wife. I never meant for her to be affected by my stress or behaviour.

“I’ve sent messages and used language that I am deeply embarrassed by and regret.

“It’s not okay for us to speak to each other like that. There’s never been any physical violence in our relationship but we’re coming to terms with the fact that words can be just as hurtful.

“But despite the pain and suffering, we love each other deeply.”

His barrister Marcus Dempsey told the court Mr Setka lived in “a highly politicised public world”, working long hours on behalf of “working families”.

“Very publicly, everyone has an opinion about whether Mr Setka should stay in his position,” Mr Dempsey said