Australian Greens senator says any damages from suit against Liberal Democrat will go to women’s charities

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has confirmed she will sue David Leyonhjelm for defamation over comments she believes amount to “slut-shaming” and accusing her of being a misandrist.

On Tuesday Hanson-Young confirmed she would bring a case against the Liberal Democrat senator and promised to donate any damages awarded to charities that focus on the support and development of women.

Hanson-Young told the Senate on 28 June the feud was sparked by comments in a debate about women’s safety in which she alleged Leyonhjelm had told her to “stop shagging men”.

David Leyonhjelm is milking this moment, rallying his supporters with offence | Katharine Murphy Read more

Leyonhjelm proceeded to repeat the comments in a series of media interviews including one on Sky News that prompted an apology from the network and presenters Ross Cameron and Rowan Dean for the senator’s comments that Hanson-Young was “well-known for liking men”.

Hanson-Young accused Leyonhjelm of “slut-shaming” her and Leyonhjelm’s comments were widely denounced by political leaders including Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten.

But Leyonhjelm was unrepentant, incorrectly claiming that Hanson-Young had said something like “all men are rapists” in the Senate debate and accusing her of displaying a “double standard”.

Hanson-Young set a deadline of one week for Leyonhjelm to unreservedly apologise and pay compensation, which he refused to do.

In a statement on Tuesday, Hanson-Young said she had received “a flood of messages from women around the country who have experienced sexual harassment, bullying and sexist abuse in their workplaces”.

“No woman deserves to be disrespected, harassed and bullied in the workplace, in the street, or in their own homes,” she said. “For women everywhere, from the factory floor, in the hospitality industry, to flight attendants, this fight is for you.”

Hanson-Young noted Leyonhjelm had refused to apologise “despite being asked by everyone from the Senate president to the prime minister”.

Play Video 1:34 Sarah Hanson-Young's emotional interview on ABC radio – audio

“His behaviour continues to bring the parliament into disrepute,” she said. “We have a strong case and there is so much determination in the community to keep fighting.”

Hanson-Young said any damages would go to charities such as Plan International Australia and the Working Women’s Centre in South Australia.

“These organisations work at the coalface of helping women subjected to harassment, intimidation and bullying every day,” she said. “It is for the women they assist and fight for on a daily basis that I am doing this.”

In a statement last week, Leyonhjelm said Hanson-Young’s action was “without merit”.



“She is also wasting her time, money and endless reserves of outrage, because I will not be issuing an apology,” he said. “Society deems misogyny unacceptable and I completely agree. But let’s start being consistent here.

“Senator Hanson-Young has a history of saying derogatory and sexist things about men and implying that all men are collectively responsible for the crimes of a few.”

