‘I wish her well’: Albanese declines to apologise to Sarah Williams

3 weeks ago 7

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese volition not apologise to advocator Sarah Williams implicit a quality astir whether oregon not helium lied portion speaking astatine a women’s protestation against home violence, saying video footage of the enactment could talk for itself.

The premier curate has faced days of antagonistic publicity aft helium claimed to the assemblage successful Canberra connected Sunday that helium had asked to talk astatine the rally, but was told by the protestation organisers that it was not possible. Williams said that was a “flat-out lie” earlier she burst into tears adjacent to him.

Asked connected Tuesday whether helium would apologise to Williams, Albanese attempted to gully a enactment nether the controversy. “With respect to Sarah, I privation her well. I privation her well. People tin spot the video for themselves. They tin spot what radical said and what radical didn’t say,” helium said.

It comes earlier a drawback nationalist furniture gathering astir unit against women connected Wednesday, and arsenic galore advocates impulse nationalist absorption to instrumentality to argumentation solutions alternatively than politics.

Extended footage from Sunday’s rally shows Albanese’s remarks were preceded by a agelong code successful which Williams, a 23-year-old subsister advocator from Newcastle, called for the premier curate to hold to a acceptable of 5 demands from her organisation, What Were You Wearing.

Williams asked Albanese and Minister for Women Katy Gallagher to awesome thumbs up oregon down if they would agree: to state a home unit nationalist emergency; to artifact the media from publishing images of victims for 48 hours; mandatory victim-blaming prevention training; alternate reporting options for victims; and accrued funding.

Rally organiser Sarah Williams looks distant arsenic Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks astatine the lawsuit calling for an extremity to unit against women.

Albanese and Gallagher were heckled erstwhile they did not respond to this request, but the premier curate roseate to talk soon aft Williams told the crowd: “We gave the accidental to Anthony Albanese to marque comments contiguous and we didn’t get any.”

Albanese, who was sitting connected the writer adjacent to Gallagher, was recorded by Nine saying: “No you haven’t!”

Williams besides said: “I actually, to beryllium honest, don’t truly privation anyone to talk due to the fact that I don’t deliberation they should beryllium fixed the microphone... I’m blessed for [my team] to speech with the ministers, perceive what they person to say, and past we’ll see the determination of them speaking astir 10 minutes.”

That was met by boos from the crowd. Albanese astatine this constituent was filmed saying: “Do you privation maine to talk oregon not? I americium the premier minister.”

Williams past asked, “speaking oregon not speaking?” to which the assemblage chiefly cheered “yes” and “let them speak”. Albanese past got up to instrumentality the microphone.

“Thanks precise much. I bash privation to congratulate the organisers, including yourself, for organising this today,” helium said.

“And conscionable arsenic I near Parliament House during the objection that was held a mates of years ago, I’m arrogant to beryllium present with women, men, boys and girls, saying we privation unit against women and children to stop.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses a rally calling for enactment to extremity unit against women astatine Parliamnet House connected Sunday.

“To beryllium clear, we did inquire to speak, myself and Katy [Gallagher], and were told that wasn’t imaginable and that’s fine, I respect the organisers’ close to bash that.”

Williams, lasting adjacent to Albanese, past said, “that’s a lie, that’s a full-out lie”, and burst into tears. Albanese continued his speech, successful which helium called home unit a nationalist crisis, portion Williams was comforted by the radical astir her.

Opposition person Peter Dutton connected Tuesday said the premier curate had superior allegations made against him. “He’s been called a liar and his connection questioned. I deliberation that needs to beryllium addressed. I deliberation the premier curate needs to apologise if helium has lied,” Dutton said.

Albanese, erstwhile pressed connected the substance connected Tuesday, kept referring to disposable video footage.

“I anticipation radical tin spot the video that was determination and tin gully their ain conclusions,” helium said.

“It is wholly counterproductive astatine a clip erstwhile we’re talking astir a pistillate dying of home unit each 4 days successful this country. That’s the contented that I’m focused on.

“People tin look astatine the videos themselves. Everything determination was recorded. Everything I said and everything I didn’t say.”

Williams has been contacted for comment. Her astir caller posts connected societal media accidental she is demanding the authorities unfastened up Wednesday’s nationalist furniture gathering to frontline organisations and women with lived experience.

“I americium begging Albanese erstwhile again to enactment with our community,” she said.

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is affected by intersexual assault, home oregon household violence, telephone 1800RESPECT connected 1800 737 732.

Cut done the sound of national authorities with news, views and adept analysis. Subscribers tin motion up to our play Inside Politics newsletter.