Christian Porter denied raping Katharine Thornton at a press conference on Wednesday (3-3-21) but all he did was lie, lie and tell more lies and the only inference that could be drawn is that he did rape Ms Thornton and he was trying to conceal it which I regard as a confession. The biggest lie being about journalists failing to put questions to him before publishing which the media were able to readily confirm was a lie, but Porter had done a runner by then. It was also a lie he had previous form on the board for telling and for which he had also previously been exposed by the media.
I had an open mind about Porter’s guilt or innocence before the press conference, but I watched his whole statement and the media questions that followed, and it became obvious very quickly he was guilty and lying like no tomorrow to try and conceal it. I recorded the below video in which Christian Porter speaks at the press conference and then I commented on it pointing out his lies and strategy etc.
Katharine Thornton
This article is a follow-up to my last article “Attorney-General Christian Porter alleged to have raped 16-yr-old Katharine Thornton in 1988”. (Click here to read)
The purpose of the media conference on Wednesday (3/3/21) was to deny the allegation of rape and to do it in a manner that was credible, but Porter lost all credibility once he started telling blatant lies. Porter was not facing a criminal trial at the press conference so it is not a situation where Porter had to put forward a defence that showed he was innocent of rape. All Porter had to do was come across as credible with his defence of the rape allegation, but he failed badly to do that and on that basis, he has to go as Attorney-General.
Porter started off “saying he had not been presented with the specific allegations that were made against him.”
“Something that I am just personally struggling to even wrap my head around is that all of this has happened and I have never been contacted in any substantive form by anyone putting to me the details of what appears is now being alleged against me,” Porter said.
His comments echoed those he made last year after the broadcast of the ABC’s Four Corners report Inside the Canberra Bubble, which alleged inappropriate conduct by Porter and an affair by the now education minister Alan Tudge.
“No one put anything in any detail to me seeking a response,” Porter said on Wednesday. “None of the senior politicians or ex-politicians that have known about these allegations and rumours put them to me. No journalist has put the detail of the allegations to me in a way that would allow seeking a response, not ever. All I know about the allegations is what I have read in the media.”
But “Reporters from multiple organisations say they called or emailed the attorney general’s office many times and were ignored” (Click here to read more)
Porter was clearly telling a lie as I also emailed Porter’s office with detailed questions about the alleged rape on Monday (1/3/21) and published an article on Tuesday (2/3/21) titled “Attorney-General Christian Porter alleged to have raped 16-yr-old Katharine Thornton in 1988” with the email in the article and then Porter had his press conference on the 3/3/21 so he knew he was lying.
Porter’s lies about the media were designed for the TV audience watching his press conference on Wednesday who would not have known that for days Porter was refusing to answer media questions which are the actions of someone who has something to hide. And given Porter told the same lies last year when the ABC ran the Canberra Bubble story, which exposed Porter having a sexual relationship with a junior staffer etc, it says that it is a deliberate strategy to lie about the media failing to give him an opportunity to respond, not some mistake. And that deliberate strategy of lying points to guilt.
I detail some of the other lies in the below video and you can hear directly from Christian Porter at Wednesday’s press conference.
It was the worst press conference that I have ever seen where someone is trying to deny a crime, but Porter was not there to convince everyone he was innocent. Porter knew that he had certain journalists in his hip pocket who would defend him such as Nine’s political reporter Chris Uhlmann who called social media users sewer rats in his defence of Porter and Australian Financial Review political editor Phillip Coorey who “compared the controversy over Mr Porter to the nationwide debate about Lindy Chamberlain’s conviction for the murder of her daughter, Azaria.” (Click here to read more)
Christian Porter also knew he could rely on his good friend Peter Van Onselen to run cover for him as well. Mr Van Onselen, who works for Channel 10 and Rupert Murdoch’s The Australian was on ABC Radio the next morning pushing propaganda for his old University mate. (Click here to listen) Van Onselen does some great work on Channel 10 but when the Murdoch phone rings Van Onselen always picks up.
Christian Porter (On far left) and Peter van Onselen (Third from right) At University in WA
Christian Porter has taken 2 weeks leave and if he’s smart, he won’t come back although given the government only has a one-seat majority he would be under huge pressure to return. Either way, his political career is over.
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Categories: Attorney-General Christian Porter
KCA is one of the best news sites in Australia, if not the world. Majority of other journalists are so weak they are letting our democracy go down the drain.
Ditto…
Agree Beth. Shane great job. You must never sleep!
Can you find and print the 30 page letter from Katharine Thornton? This would let us make beter judgment about Porter’s alleged role.
I do not have a copy and I do not know where I would get one.
I was waiting for someone to examine Porter’s obvious lies and do an analysis like exists on youtube with Prince Andrew. The fact that Porter’s lying didn’t convince anyone and actually highlighted his guilt means that he probably only has psychopathic tendencies rather than being a fully fledged psychopath in the clinical sense.
And yet people still vote for these criminals and the system that they support maybe its the public who are all psychopaths. Never the less, Porter has to go and all who helped with the cover up’s.
Can’t understand the tears, can’t understand why if he has no case to answer he didn’t front up as soon as the allegations were made and make a calm statement acknowledging the allegations but refuting them, and stepping aside to allow an independent investigation. There is clearly some substance to the allegations. The fact that he has framed the idea of stepping down as an attack on our legal system, instead of acknowledging that whilst the allegations are untested it is not appropriate for him to be fulfilling the A-G role is particularly galling. He should understand better than most that he (and all elected officials) are being held to a higher standard than your average person, and even more so as Attorney General he should be beyond reproach. Crying over the threat to his politcal career is all about his ego – with no prospect of criminal charges, we all know that the private sector will give zero fucks about his reputation, and will welcome him with oporn arms.
The tears are his acting skills plus anger — tears of rage at being caught out when he thought he was home and dry.
Well done, its wonderful to see a person with so much guts to speak up! Great article. Well done.
The biggest clue to his lying is that he said at the press conference that he hasn’t read the victim’s 30 page document. In which parallel universe would someone NOT read rape accusations against themselves, so they could find just one lie, to cast doubt I the whole document. The PM also said he hadn’t read it. Absolute rubbish. How long would it take to read? 10 minutes?
I do think he is guilty and if so…how well he is playing the “typical” victim card….oh, please feel sorry for me .. and let’s just forget the poor actual victim who is no longer able to speak up! Similar with Linda Reynolds… poor little Linda, had to go to hospital because she was so upset! That is classic “cow” behaviour Linda Reynolds! You are the cow! She was fine until she was caught out! Makes me sick to my stomach! What ever happened to The Truth!?!
Brilliant article, yet again!
Is that Nick Coatsworth (3rd from left) in the company of Porter & Van Onselen?
Yes it is Dr Nick Coatsworth
He repeatedly claimed not to know the details of the allegations against him. (an obvious lie) Then went on to deny EVERYTHING. He is not credible.
He also denied meeting Katharine after 1988 and implied he barely knew her. Yet we know from her statement that she met up with him again in 1994 and he made lewd comments to her then. She was so upset she told her boyfriend at the time. We’ve since discovered he had dinner with her, which he admits. So, yet another LIE.
A real journalist. Courageous, intelligent and articulate. After all the deception and manipulation presented to us by the highest officials in the land and their reporters, these words and this work done by KCA is life saving and profoundly restorative.
How can someone deny a legal accusation if they refuse to read the accusation? This is such a preposterous defence concept that it would make even a five year old blush, let alone one of the ‘great legal minds’ of our nation, and why do the journalists let him get away with this absurdity!
Thank you for bringing this out to the public, we are in a period of radical change
‘When one with honeyed words but evil mind
Persuades the mob, great woes befall the state.’
Euripides, Orestes
a great article as are all of what you write .exposure where its needed keep up the good work
Thanks for giving us the truth.
From the archived yearbook: Porter was a school prefect, the captain of his house and a budding actor, whose performances were praised by the school at the time as showing “great ability and maturity”.
It appears acting lessons back then helped his “performance” on Wednesday.
Thank you for an excellent analysis. I am not a journalist, but watching Porter’s press conference last Wednesday it seemed obvious he was lying about not being contacted by anyone from the media. The most riveting news for a very long time which strongly appeared to implicate the AG, yet no one contacts him? Not credible! Nor is it credible that there was no contact from the ABC last year before the 4Corners programme.
Simply denying these very serious allegations and having the PM and others bleating on about “Rule of Law;” presumption of innocence” etc. cannot let him wriggle out from a proper judicial enquiry. Well before this particular allegation was made, he had form for disrespectful, even misogynistic behaviour, unbecoming of the country’s chief law officer.
As if Porter would admit he raped that 16-year-old girl, especially in the position he holds.As if!
I sat here this morning with my head in my hands in disbelief how humans treat each other and this planet. So many issues daily, so many unethical and immoral people especially so-called leaders. Then I read KCA’s words and a glimmer of hope shines that keeps me going.
I feel the same. I couldn’t tell whether this website was real when I first found it but I know it’s true and it gives me hope. No one expected Porter to admit it, but ppl are angry he lied to the victim’s family in person and called their daughter a liar and implied she was mentally unstable. And ppl are angry about all his mates closing ranks to protect him and the rest of the government. Arrogantly telling the people of this country there doesn’t need to be an inquiry.
The greatest purveyors of misery in the community are Lawyers. I was shockingly injured by a Medical Specialist in 2015 and am currently litigating. I have not been able to work since been injured. The Lawyers acting for the Doctor behave appallingly with the most despicably allegations against me despite have 5 broken bones removed from my skull in October 2019, 4 1/2 years after the event. They are pure scum. Ironically the firm and Lawyer acting for Christian Porter is acting against me.
Whist they make buckets of money, they deliver misery upon victims of medical negligence and other matters and could not give a shit. Rest assured Porter would have delivered misery in his career so watching him sook on national television instead of manning up was perfect comeuppance. Lawyers and Barristers are the most skilled liars amongst us, you could not believe a word that comes out of his mouth as a skilled Lawyer and actor. How do these people sleep at night. Porter must go, to much stench surrounds the bloke. I guarantee more will come out about him in coming weeks.
Sorry to hear that Rod. Best wishes to you. I hope you can succeed and find support. I agree there seems to be more on the way from the Canberra cesspit.
Thanks for shining a light into the sewer hole. The sewer rats are not who they say they are. It’s the people who ignore the ones who fight for the truth regardless of the consequences. There is much more to come out of this. More and more people are showing the courage to come forward. Spot on about cronyism with some journalists. House of Cards Oz
Such a relief after all this time to have been led to this site. In an unbelievably tiring and traumatic week for anyone familiar not only with the trauma of abuse but the experience of narcissism, Christian Porter was repulsive in his press conference, more concerning even that that is Scott Morrison trying not to lose his majority, I wonder what ‘Jenny said’.
isnt that the health minister advisor just to left of the woman centre. Nice little cliique going on there
Interesting to see the head of Minter Ellison decrying taking Porter on as a client and the Board rallying to silence her!
Shane,
great video & analysis. Thanks.
I realise you were addressing a specific isue in the video:
Is Porter “Credible”?
Agree with your “a dirty filthy trick” assessment.
There’s a few of other things about the Porter interview that are also worth discussing:
A. This is important to the Government, Porter wouldn’t have been allowed an “unsupervised” presser. The PMO must’ve been involved in both the strategy and detail of CP’s response.
B. Porter, his lawyer, his advisers & the PMO had FIVE days to prepare this statement / performance – and this “the dog ate my homework” denial is the best they could do… I wonder what alternatives were rejected.
C. Porter chose the Place, Date and Time of the Presser:
– Perth: well away from the Canberra Press Gallery, “friendly” local journos asking Q’s
– Date: Same day as a major National Press Club address by Grace Tame
– Time: Immediately after the Grace Tame NPC address, though some speculation it was meant to clash, limiting live broadcast options
D. Porter didn’t just “gaslight” (deny the reality of the victim) his alleged victim of 1988,
he deliberately stayed away from the High Court while Justice Gleeson was sworn in.
The first woman Justice who’s father was Chief Justice.
Then Grace Tame at the NPC – trying to detract from or rollover her address?
The relevance of Grace Tame at the NPC is suggested by CP being 10 minutes late to his own Presser. He’d booked the event at least the night before, why be late?
Unless CP & his advisors were furiously “workshopping” changes to his response in light of Grace Tame’s address and questions.
Porter could’ve shifted his Presser by 1 or 2 days without affecting it, yet he chose a day that allowed him to ‘gaslight’ not 1 but three women simultaneously, while declaring “I’m the victim here”.
I don’t think the PMO or Porter understood just how powerful a speaker Grace Tame would turn out to be. It’s vanishingly rare for the Press Gallery at NPC lunches to break into spontaneous applause, nor to see any of them visibly affected.
Grace Tame’s answers prompted multiple rounds of spontaneous applause at the Press Club.
That must’ve shaken all the Liberal politicians watching, especially IMO, Porter.
Amazing how in the MSM and even twitter the conversation has shifted from possible murder and perhaps police interference with KT to sexual harassment in the workplace.
This Porter fiasco is rolling around like a hand grenade at the moment.
Maybe KCA should get a petition going in the marketplace to force an inquiry, where Porter must go through the thirty pages of allegations, with his responses then checked against the recollections of all others present at the debating meet, and in the subsequent years.
If Rudd can get a half million signatures against Murdoch, then a million signatures against Porter should be a formality!
This rebellion against the powers of the political cartels might be the demonstration of democratic power which our nation so badly needs!
You have to marvel at the irony of life. Porter is experiencing the same trauma as his Roboscam victims did. They claimed innocence, too.
(Politics, and basic law I suppose should be fairly easy to understand. But I neither speak the language of nor understand them well..🤷♀️) However, I believe like Many that Christian Porter lied. And that he is a low example of a human being. And what an insult that he referred to an apparently most impressive and liked young woman in such a detached and dismissive way. What has happened to him in the last week he has brought upon himself. Also I find it quite bizarre that a man who has been proven to have been a highly immature and misogynistic teenager and didn’t seem to change upon growing into an – adult – becomes someone (firstly as a Crown Prosecutor?), whose professional government role, the highest legal role in his country, is to be responsible for – totally adult matters – “legal affairs, national security and human rights.” \ ~~I know M Turnbull is seen as both good And bad. I see some good in him, and was glad he was able, along with his wife Lucy to help KT. But recently heard an ABC interview he did with Annabel Crabb in which she quoted Keating (not my cup of tea, but I know very smart) telling someone there are three things you’ve got to know about Malcolm. He’s brilliant, he’s fearless – and he’s got no judgement. So it sounds to me his appointing of Porter to Att.-General is a good, and unfortunate example of that. And most seem to be saying now Porter is finished. And in my own way I think that’s a good thing for the people of Australia.
A very impressive video clip, Shane. It has given me considerable food for thought. I guess the video clip simply underscores the old saying “There are always two sides to a story”.
The poor woman. KT had mental health issues, so must be crazy and a fantasist. The AG also has mental health issues, but is man enough to admit it and takes time off to get some help. I too would have suffered anxiety at being called out for allegedly committing such a brutal rape!
Porter may well be not guilty but his public portrayal of innocence is unconvincing & his public persona emphasises that .His reputation generally gives no cause for optimism in his plea of not guilty.
His actions as AG in so many instances lead one to disbelieve his good intentions, honesty or innocence.