Buttrose lobs bombshell David Anderson claims to ABC lawyers

The ABC’s former chair, Ita Buttrose, has written to ABC lawyers to dispute key evidence provided by managing director David Anderson to a federal court in the ongoing unlawful termination case brought against the public broadcaster by Antoinette Lattouf.

In the latest shock development in the high-profile case, Buttrose has disputed Anderson’s version of two key conversations that he provided during this month’s court proceedings in a legal letter sent to Seyfarth Shaw, the firm acting for the ABC in its defence against Lattouf.

Lattouf has sued the ABC, arguing that she was unlawfully terminated three days into a five-day contract as a fill-in presenter on ABC Radio Sydney in late 2023. Central to the case are social media posts she made before and during her time at the ABC, relating to the war in Gaza.

ABC chair Ita Buttrose with managing director David Anderson.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

The first allegation refers to the conversation Anderson had with Buttrose on the day Lattouf was sacked before the pair went to their end-of-year lunch.

Ita Buttrose leaves court after giving evidence in the Lattouf case on February 11.Credit: James Brickwood

The second allegation is about Anderson providing evidence about a conversation he had with the ABC’s former content chief, Chris Oliver-Taylor, on his way back from the end-of-year lunch.

Buttrose alleged in the letter that the evidence provided by the ABC’s managing director was inconsistent with her recollection of the said events.

Anderson said in his affidavit that he met Buttrose at ABC’s Ultimo office on December 20, 2023, and had a conversation with her about Lattouf before travelling with Buttrose to a scheduled Christmas lunch.

According to Anderson’s affidavit, Buttrose told him at the time that they were “going to have to agree to disagree” on Lattouf’s position as a casual presenter on a five-day contract with the broadcaster.

“Mr Anderson’s deposition at [96] was entirely inconsistent with what he deposed at [41] to [95],” Buttrose said in the letter.

“Clearly, Mr Anderson was not having a conversation with me on Level 14 at Ultimo, when I wasn’t even in the building.

“No such conversation ever took place, and this is corroborated with irrefutable evidence which the ABC now has.”

Buttrose said that she had discussed the alleged inconsistencies in Anderson’s affidavit and the evidence that “completely refuted” his version of events with the ABC and its lawyers in a teleconference on February 18.

Buttrose declined to comment on the letter when approached by this masthead. An ABC spokesman said the matter was before the court and it would be inappropriate for the ABC to comment while proceedings were under way.

The broadcaster has not taken any action in response to the letter sent by Buttrose.

ABC managing director David Anderson (right) leaving the Federal Court after giving evidence in the case ABC v Antoinette Lattouf. Credit: Kate Geraghty

In the letter, Buttrose also said she had an invoice from the car hire company to prove she had been picked up from her house in Redfern, which contradicted the evidence given by Anderson.

The invoice from Corporate Cars Australia, according to Buttrose, proves she was picked up from her house, and therefore could not have spoken with Anderson at the ABC’s offices before their lunch.

On Anderson’s conversation with Oliver Taylor as he travelled in a taxi back to the ABC offices, Buttrose alleges that the interaction could not have happened given that Anderson was with her.

“He was, in fact, in a hire car with me,” Buttrose said in the letter.

According to Buttrose, citing an invoice from Corporate Cars Australia, the hire car picked them both up after the lunch at 3pm and then dropped Anderson to the ABC’s offices, and Buttrose back to her home in Redfern.

This masthead does not suggest that Anderson’s evidence in the court case was anything other than his honest recollection of events.

Buttrose told ABC’s lawyers in the letter that it was important that the evidence she had provided was given to Lattouf’s legal team.

“Accordingly, please confirm with me by way of written correspondence when appropriate actions have been taken with regard to Mr Anderson’s affidavit.

“Similarly, please inform me as a matter of absolute urgency, if the ABC decides to withhold this evidence from Ms Lattouf’s legal team, so that I can take the appropriate action.

“In the interests of transparency, diligence and justice, a prompt response in this matter is imperative.”

Lattouf’s case against the ABC will resume this week, with both parties scheduled to deliver their closing arguments in court.

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