2018-07-30
“I was pleased to hear 3AW apologise on air on Sunday. This apology further evidences how reprehensible and defamatory Senator Leyonhjelm’s statements have been concerning my personal and public life.”
“I am also pleased that 3AW have seen fit to apologise and distance themselves from Senator Leyonhjelm’s defamatory and derogatory statements.”
On Sunday, June 29, 3AW host Darren James delivered the following statement on-air:
Now you will remember that a few weeks ago myself, and presenters, Nick McCallum and Rita Panahi, interviewed David Leyonhjelm and one of the topics of conversation on-air was his exchange with Senator Sarah Hanson-Young in the senate. We took him to task on his comments about Senator Hanson-Young, which we felt were inappropriate and an unnecessary reference to Senator Hanson-Young's personal life. He responded by going even further with these personal comments which were not only uncalled for, but in our view defamatory of Senator Hanson-Young. We at 3AW did not, and do not, condone such derogatory discussion of women in public life and we made that point in the show. We think it is unbecoming and not in keeping with parliamentary standards. We let Senator Leyonhjelm go too far in that interview, and for that we apologise to Senator Hanson-Young.