How the ABC spent almost $200,000 of YOUR money on defamation costs for a tweet sent by star reporter Louise Milligan - but the total cost is likely to be DOUBLE that
- ABC managing director David Anderson defended $200,000 defamation spend
- Liberal MP Andrew Laming sued national broadcaster over reporter tweets
- Four Corners reporter Louise Milligan accused the MP of up-skirting women
- ABC chief financial officer confirmed total cost of $400,000 was more likely
The ABC has defended spending almost $200,000 in taxpayers' money on lawyers after a star reporter wrongly accused a Liberal MP on Twitter of up-skirting women - but the total cost could be double that.
Backbencher Andrew Laming sued the national broadcaster in June after Four Corners journalist Louise Milligan told her social media followers the Brisbane-based MP had taken inappropriate photographs of women in public places, an allegation he denied.
The whole affair has so far cost taxpayers $184,000, following an order from Federal Court judge Anna Katzmann in August, but a Senate hearing has heard the total cost was more likely to add up to $400,000.
ABC managing director David Anderson has confirmed the payout included $79,000 in damages to Dr Laming plus $30,000 in his legal costs but conceded the total cost was likely to exceed $200,000.
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The ABC has defended spending almost $200,000 in taxpayer funds on lawyers after a star reporter Louise Milligan wrongly accused a Liberal MP on Twitter of up-skirting women
'That is not the total cost yet. There is still more to come,' he confirmed to the Senate Environment and Communications committee on Tuesday night.
'I don't believe that to be a significant amount.'
The ABC's chief financial officer Melanie Kleyn said the national broadcaster regarded Milligan's tweets as work-related, even though they were made on her personal social media account.
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'Given the specific circumstances and the legal risk that we are aware of with regard to vicarious liability, it is reasonable to assess this being in the course of employment,' she said.
Ms Kleyn agreed with a suggestion from Liberal senator Ben Small that the total cost of the Milligan affair was more likely to cost $400,000 instead of $200,000 should the ABC have to also pay fringe benefits tax.
'If there was FBT payable, that is correct,' she said.
'There is the potential but we will take the appropriate advice.'
Mr Anderson defended not asking Milligan to apologise to Dr Laming, a former ophthalmologist eye surgeon, even though the national broadcaster sought to settle the matter to 'reduce the exposure to the ABC given the liability I was advised of'.
'There was conflicting information when it came to these tweets,' he said.
Backbencher Andrew Laming sued the national broadcaster in June after Four Corners journalist Louise Milligan told her social media followers the Brisbane-based MP had taken inappropriate photographs of women in public places - an allegation he denied
In March, Crystal White complained to police, alleging Dr Laming photographed her underwear showing at the top of her denim shorts as she stacked a bar fridge for a landscaping supplies company in 2019.
Dr Laming, the member for Bowman in Brisbane, insisted the photo was 'dignified' and simply showed 'someone trying to fit an impossible amount of stock into a fridge' - and was cleared by police who found 'no evidence to indicate a criminal offence'.
Milligan published four tweets on March 28, beginning with a statement that Dr Laming was one of the names 'volunteered to me in off the record conversation with women staffers & politicians' when she was researching for Inside the Canberra Bubble.
The November 2020 Four Corners episode purported to unveil a negative culture towards women in Parliament House.
ABC managing director David Anderson has confirmed $79,000 had been given to Dr Laming in damages plus $30,000 in his legal costs but conceded the total cost was likely to exceed $200,000. He is pictured (centre) with the ABC's chief financial officer Melanie Kleyn and editorial director Craig McMurtie
Milligan's tweet thread also included comments purportedly from an unnamed, female Liberal staffer saying Dr Laming would be sacked immediately if he was in the corporate world.
A tweet on April 15 listed 'Laming upskirts' along with references to Brittany Higgins, Christine Holgate and a dance troupe that twerked at a navy event.
The tweets have since been deleted. Milligan posted a statement saying she hadn't included Dr Laming's denials in a 'broader Twitter discussion about gender and politics'.
'Twitter is a truncated and imperfect medium,' she said on June 17, urging readers to read a linked news article.
Milligan uploaded a series of tweets from March with allegations about Dr Andrew Laming
But Dr Laming claimed the statement was 'self-serving', had a 'sensational, accusatory and spiteful tone' and aggravated his hurt.
In a defamation claim filed in the Federal Court, the MP said Milligan's tweets carried meanings that he was such a danger to women he should leave parliament immediately.
After the reports into the photograph and allegations he harassed two other women, Dr Laming went on a month of paid medical leave for counselling and empathy training.
