Christian Porter

[Black Orchid]

I can't find where this was previously discussed.

Attorney-General Christian Porter has identified himself as the federal minister at the centre of historical rape allegations.

The senior cabinet minister on Wednesday came forward to categorically deny the incident occurred after sexual assault allegations against an unnamed minister surfaced last week.

He announced he would not be standing down, or aside, and instead on the advice of his doctor, he would take a short period of leave “to assess and hopefully improve my own mental health”.

The woman, who was 16 at the time of the alleged rape in 1988, went to police last year but withdrew the complaint before taking her own life in June.

Porter started by addressing the parents of a woman, whom he said he knew for “the briefest period” at debating competitions when they were teenagers.

“I have thought long and hard about the implications for you of what I feel I need to say today, and I hope that whatever else happens from this point that you will understand that in saying today, that the things that are being claimed to have happened, did not happen – that I do not mean to impose anything more upon your grief,” he told reporters in Perth.

“But I hope you will also understand that because what is being alleged did not happen I must say so publicly.”

The attorney-general said all the information he had about the allegations was what had been circulated online and in media outlets.

“The allegations appear to be about a period in early 1988 during an end of school debating competition at Sydney University,” he said.

“I was 17 years old and the other person was 16. We were both selected with two others on the Australian school debating team.

“It was a long time ago and I always remembered it as a happy time. But I can say categorically that what has been put in various forms in allegations simply did not happen.”

Porter said he hadn’t had any contact with the woman at all, to the best of his recollection, in the past 33 years.

“I remember the person as an intelligent, bright, happy person but I hadn’t had any contact from that person at all, to the best of my recollection … since that time in January 1988,” he said.

“We were friends, we hung out together … we did what normal teenagers would do.

“I did not sleep with the victim. We didn’t have anything of that nature happen between us. I can say to you all, it didn’t happen.”

More here ... https://7news.com.au/politics/federal-p ... -c-2277737


He rightly had a go at the malicious ABC. I'm pretty sick of people coming forward decades after an alleged sexual assault and I agree it sets a dangerous precedent if he steps down. He shouldn't.

Then we have Albo on the sidelines mumbling about wanting a tax payer funded enquiry of something that can never be proven nor resolved.

[billy the kid]

An inquiry into this "case" will be a waste of time.
What will be the terms of reference.
Who will make statements.
Who will have the responsibility of conducting the inquiry.
I would imagine Porter would be the only person called.
All he would have to say is "it didnt happen" and "I refuse to answer
any more questions..."
It would be over in five minutes.....
Total waste of time and the lack of intelligence of those calling for an inquiry
beggars belief....

[Black Orchid]

Do we know how she died? Did she make a report some 33 years on then just *poof*?

[billy the kid]

All I know is it has been reported as a suicide and Turnbull made a veiled suggestion that maybe it wasnt.
The SA Coroner is yet to make a decision as to whether he holds an inquest or not.
I would imagine in the circumstances he would be duty bound to hold an inquest.
To not hold an inquest would set the tongues wagging and suggest a cover up.
I dont know of the circumstances of her death, only that it was reported as a suicide.
The SA Coroners Act states any unusual death should be reported to the Coroner.
Suicide I imagine would be classified as "unusual"
The Act doesnt state that the Coroner must hold an inquest...it merely says that
such deaths are reportable...
The discretion of holding an inquest is always up to the Coroner.
If a doctor produced a medical certificate stating the cause of death, the contents of the mc would
be taken into consideration by the Coroner.
I have seen cases where the death was in unusual circumstances, but the mc produced
stated that the deceased died of natural causes....
Suicide is not "natural causes".....

[Black Orchid]

The decision whether to hold an inquest or not will probably end up being based how much media coverage this gets.

[sprintcyclist]

I find the whole thing very sad

[billy the kid]

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/mo ... d=msedgntp
Gutter politics and gutter journalism...
Perhaps the SA Coroner wont hold an inquest yet due to the possibility of other "action"...

[Black Orchid]

The ABC needs to be broken up and sold off. Taxpayers should not be funding their partisan hatchet jobs. More competent people were recommended by an independent panel and passed over for Ita and she has taken the ABC from bad to worse with her team of feminazis.

I bet that's one captain's pick that ScoMo regrets.

[billy the kid]

The ABC gutter journalists left out a sentence from the letter written by the friends/family of the deceased woman....
The sentence suggests that the woman may have embellished the facts...
Strange how the gutter journalists conveniently left this out....

[Black Orchid]

But but but the ABC is the most trusted news source in Australia according to the loony left