Opposition Leader Tony Abbott blames a Labor dirt unit for allegations that he physically threatened a female student and political rival during his university days.

Take a look at exactly what the allegations are, and who has said what about them over the past week.

Barbara Ramjan

Sept 8, 2012

"[Tony Abbott] came up to within an inch of my nose and punched the wall on either side of my head. It was done to intimidate."

- Ms Ramjan tells journalist David Marr how Mr Abbott reacted after she defeated him in the vote for president of the University of Sydney Students Representative Council in 1977.

Tony Abbott

Sept 8, 2012

"It would be profoundly out of character had it occurred."

- Tony Abbott's response to Ms Ramjan's claim, as quoted in David Marr's Quarterly Essay

David Marr

Sept 8, 2012

''Our talk was off the record... The one statement [Mr Abbott] insists I put his name to is this: he can't remember threatening Barbara Ramjan all those years ago at university and believes to have thrown those punches would be out of character."

- David Marr writes about Mr Abbott's initial response to the allegation.

Tony Abbott

Sept 8, 2012

''It never happened."

- The Opposition Leader's on-the-record quote about the incident to the Sydney Morning Herald.



David Marr

Sept 10, 2012

"I've no doubt that that happened back then and that it was an ugly incident - and it was at a time of really wild university politics. University politics in those days were wild, and the wildest of the people taking part were the DLPers... and Tony Abbott was a leader of the DLPers."

- David Marr tells Lateline he is certain the incident happened.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 15 minutes 12 seconds 15 m David Marr on Tony Abbott

Greg Sheridan

Sept 12, 2012

"Abbott was my best friend at that time. We talked over everything. The meaning of life, the purpose of politics, who'd win the rugby league grand final, what girls we planned to ask out, petty squabbles we might have had with our parents. I remember the night in question quite well. No such incident was ever discussed by Abbott or by anyone else in his circle. It is utterly inconceivable."

- The Australian's foreign editor, Greg Sheridan, recalls the night in question.

David Patch

Sept 13, 2012

"I did not see the incident, but I was nearby. The count had just finished. Barbara found me. She is a small woman, and Tony Abbott was (and is) a strong man. She was very shaken, scared and angry. She told me that Tony Abbott had come up to her, put his face in her face, and punched the wall on either side of her head. So, I am a witness. Barbara's immediate complaint to me about what Abbott had just done had the absolute ring of truth about it. I believed Barbara at the time, and still do."

- Sydney barrister and former Labor candidate David Patch backs Ms Ramjan's story.

Deb O'Neill

Sept 13, 2012



"What sort of man can or cannot remember punching a wall beside the head of a woman. I cannot imagine for a moment that any person would be able to forget that they undertook such an act, and it goes to the character of the man who is putting himself up as a future prime minister of this country."

- Labor backbencher Deb O'Neill

Tony Abbott

Sept 14, 2012

"I didn't recall because it never happened. How can you recall something that never happened?"

- The Opposition Leader tells a news conference Ms Ramjan's allegations are untrue.

Sorry, this video has expired Watch Tony Abbott's press conference

Greg Sheridan

Sept 14, 2012

"There's absolutely no contemporary evidence that it occurred... This is the most disgraceful, sectarian, anti-Catholic campaign I've ever seen and the ABC should hang its head in shame the way it has given uncritical and worshipful coverage to the most disgracefully incompetent, sloppy, inaccurate, vindictive piece of nasty writing by David Marr that has ever been produced."

- The Australian's Greg Sheridan, who says Mr Abbott was his best friend in 1975, condemns the allegations.