Australia’s media was accused of being ”ruthless” on Wednesday after a disgraced politician apparently tried to commit suicide over allegations of racism and sexism.
But the publisher of one of the newspapers under fire hit back by revealing that the devastating stories about the politician came from within his own Liberal Party, headed by Prime Minister John Howard.
John Brogden (36) who quit as New South Wales state leader of the Liberals on Monday, was found unconscious in a back room of his Sydney office late on Tuesday night with self-inflicted wounds.
Brogden resigned after it was revealed that he called the Malaysian wife of former New South Wales premier Bob Carr a ”mail-order bride”, pinched the bottom of one female journalist and propositioned another at an alcohol-fuelled party.
His apparent suicide attempt came as a Sydney newspaper prepared to publish more allegations about inappropriate behaviour towards a number of female members of his staff and journalists.
The first edition of Wednesday’s Daily Telegraph, printed before news of Brogden’s apparent suicide bid, carried the front page headline: ”Brogden’s Sordid Past”.
The report included charges that he had propositioned women for group sex and allegedly harassed staff at the state Parliament.
The newspaper’s front page was recast for later editions under the headline: ”Brogden in Suicide Fear”.
The man tipped to take Brogden’s place as Liberal leader in New South Wales, Peter Debnam, said journalists had failed to let Brogden off the hook despite his resignation and apologies to the Carrs and the two women.
”What in heaven’s name was the Telegraph doing pursuing [this matter] on a third day when the fellow was clearly devastated and what value to public life is there to drive him into the ground?” Debnam asked.
Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott, who is close to Howard, called the media ”ruthless”.
”Politicians give each other no quarter, the media are relentless, intrusive, ruthless and insensitive and frankly the public are very judgemental,” he said.
News Ltd, publisher of The Daily Telegraph, defended its coverage, saying it was in the public interest to know about Brogden’s history.
”John Brogden is a man who was, until a couple of days ago, clearly a viable alternative premier for [New South Wales],” the company’s corporate affairs director, Greg Baxter, told the national AAP news agency.
Brogden had described the incidents which led to his downfall as isolated, but fresh allegations showed that they were not, Baxter said.
”So there’s a serious question over it … and it becomes a public interest matter.”
Baxter said the original story which led to Brogden’s resignation came from within the Liberal Party, as did the later allegations.
”People need to be very careful about pointing the finger at the Telegraph,” he said.
The editor of the Daily Telegraph, David Penberthy, also said the Liberal Party needed to engage in some self-examination.
”But my starting point in this whole thing though would be a position of total and genuine sympathy for Brogden,” he said.
Brogden himself, who was expected to be discharged from hospital later on Wednesday, had suggested that members of his own party could have played a part in his downfall. ‒ Sapa-AFP