Friday, March 29, 2024

Christian Porter says he won’t run for Pearce

Recent stories

This afternoon Christian Porter announced he is not running for the seat of Pearce in the next federal election.

Mr Porter, who was elected to Pearce in 2013, made the announcement to his electorate on Facebook.

Christian Porter
Christian Porter’s decision to not contest the seat of Pearce at the next federal election means the Liberals will be selecting a new candidate. Photo: Anita McInnes

He said since joining the Western Australian Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in 2002 except for a few short breaks, he had spent the best part of the past 20 years in public service.

“In the years since 2008 I have been deeply fortunate to spend 11 years in ministries and only a few months in opposition,’’ he wrote.

“It has been a remarkable privilege to have been a state attorney general and state treasurer in Western Australia and to have been the Commonwealth minister for social services, industry, science and technology and serve as Commonwealth attorney general and industrial relations minister and leader of the House of Representatives.

“Looking back at my time as a minister the trust that was placed in me by (then) Premier Colin Barnett and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, meant that for much of my time in Cabinet I was entrusted with multiple senior portfolios at once.”

Mr Porter said after a long time of giving everything he could to the people of Pearce it was now time to give more to those around him whose love had been unconditional.

“The federal Liberal Party have done great things for the electorate of Pearce and I know a new Liberal candidate can continue the trusted record of serving the needs of the electorate under a re-elected Coalition Government.’’

He said it had been the experience of a lifetime to work with great teams of men and women to drive change and to govern during remarkable times, including the most demanding time for government since WWII.

But he said there were few, if any, constants left in modern politics.

“Perhaps the only certainty now is that there appears to be no limit to what some will say or allege or do to gain an advantage over a perceived enemy.

“This makes the harshness that can accompany the privilege of representing people, harder than ever before.

“But even though I have experienced perhaps more of the harshness of modern politics than most, there are no regrets.’’

In March this year after identifying himself as the Cabinet minister facing a historical rape allegation at the centre of an ABC story he said the allegations simply did not happen and started legal action against the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan.

When Mr Porter and the ABC decided to end the defamation case their agreement included that the ABC’s defence not be made public.

On July 28 Justice Jayne Jagot made an order that the ABC’s unredacted defence be provided to the South Australian Coroner’s Court for the investigation into the death of the woman who made the historical rape allegation, who took her own life in June 2020.

During an October 19 interview with Yanchep News Online, Mr Porter was asked if he was expecting to provide any information or to attend if the South Australian Coroner decided to hold an inquest into her death.

Mr Porter said he had never been contacted by any person in authority over the allegation and that included the police and the SA Coroner.

“If anyone ever did contact me I would cooperate to the fullest extent possible,’’ he said.

When the ABC published the story by Louise Milligan on February 26 it did not name Mr Porter but the story was about him.

When the defamation case was discontinued the ABC updated the original story to say it had not intended to suggest Mr Porter had committed the criminal offences alleged.

“The ABC did not contend that the serious accusations could be substantiated to the applicable legal standard – criminal or civil.

“However, both parties accept that some readers misinterpreted the article as an accusation of guilt against Mr Porter.

“That reading, which was not intended by the ABC, is regretted.’’

On September 13 Mr Porter updated the Register of Members’ Interests to say in relation to his defamation action against the ABC there would be a payment towards his fees by a blind trust known as the Legal Services Trust.

Mr Porter declined to name those who had supported his defamation case.

“They contributed to a trust on the basis of confidentiality and a belief that their contribution would remain confidential within the rules of disclosure,’’ he said.

Federal Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said Mr Porter had not only breached ministerial guidelines but was also in breach of his obligations as a member of Parliament.

“He needs to answer where this money came from,’’ he said.

“Members of Parliament, as well as ministers, just can’t accept money from anonymous donors for a private legal matter.”

On September 20 Mr Porter resigned from the Morrison Government’s ministry but said he had no intention of standing aside from his responsibilities to the people of Pearce.

On October 19 Mr Porter told Yanchep News Online that Pearce had probably benefited from more federal funding than any other seat for comparable projects in Australia.

“So two massive rail projects – Yanchep and Ellenbrook – have been commenced because of the funding that I’ve brought into the seat,’’ he said.

He had also brought in funding for the North Link project, two freeway extensions, freeway widening, pools and public amenities and was also part of a small team to bring the GST dollars back to WA.

“I think also I’m not ever afraid to stand up to whatever is the government of the day – Labor or Liberal – when my community’s interests are on the line.

Mr Porter also criticised Labor’s candidate Tracey Roberts, who is the City of Wanneroo mayor, for staying silent in the media about the McGowan Government’s decision to remove the bike path from the Yanchep rail extension calling the move a cost-cutting decision, which should be reversed.

Today he said he had decided this week to not recontest the seat of Pearce and that he had informed the Prime Minister of his decision.

This article appeared in Yanchep News Online on 1 December 2021.

KEEP IN TOUCH

Sign up for updates from Australian Rural & Regional News

Manage your subscription

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.