He is now suing Senator Hanson for up to $1 million for making claims on social media, in interviews and through a text to his wife about his alleged harassment of two former staffers.
The allegations, which Mr Burston said were “all bullshit”, include that he promised a staffer “the best f--- you ever had”, kissed another woman on the lips and gave her a $100 gift by placing it between her breasts after she tried to return it.
Mr Burston told the media in 2019 that Senator Hanson made the allegations because she was a “woman scorned” and alleged she had engaged in unwanted sexual advances towards him over two decades. That included allegedly rubbing her fingers up his spine in 1998 and propositioning him after he was elected senator. Senator Hanson says the claims are false.
In her Federal Court action, Senator Hanson, represented by Harmers Workplace Lawyers, says Mr Burston made the counter-allegations and AHRC complaint to victimise her for complaining.
Mr Burston’s smearing of blood on her parliamentary office door was an attempt to intimidate her, she claimed, and even his statement the harassment allegations were “bullshit” was victimisation because it implied she was a liar.
Under the sex discrimination act, a person can defend a victimisation lawsuit if the allegation in the complaint was false and not made in good faith.
However, Senator Hanson says in her statement of claim that Mr Burston knew her allegations were true. She says Mr Burston also refused to participate in conciliation over her legal action.
She wants the court to order that he stop all victimising conduct, including the defamation law suit, and pay her damages and legal costs.
It comes as the Federal Court earlier this month rejected a bid by Mr Burston’s former staffer Wendy Leach – who alleged he promised her “the best f---” of her life – to pursue her sexual harassment claim against the Commonwealth, despite having settled her unlawful dismissal case. Her action against Mr Burston, however, is ongoing.
Ms Leach was represented by Harmers, which also represented current One Nation adviser James Ashby in his unsuccessful 2012 sexual harassment claim against his former boss and speaker of the house Peter Slipper.
The Federal Court recently rejected Mr Ashby’s bid to sue the Commonwealth to recover his $4.5 million in legal costs for that matter, although his adverse action claim over the costs is still ongoing.
"colleague" - Google News
March 08, 2021 at 02:21PM
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Hanson and ex-colleague trade sexual harassment claims - The Australian Financial Review
"colleague" - Google News
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