Crikey has issued an apology to controversial former senator David Leyonhjelm over a story published in its tips and rumours section which suggested a young British backpacker should “stay clear” of Leyonhjelm.
The story referred to Leyonhjelm as a “creep”, and has since been removed.
The offending article has been removed
It was posted in response to a tweet Leyonhjelm sent to a British father. The father had voiced concerns about his 18-year-old daughter going to the UK for her gap year.
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Leyonhjelm responded to the tweet with a suggestion the father should “make sure she’s on the pill” as “Aussies are just as randy as Poms”.
Crikey included the tweet, and made reference to Leyonhjelm’s “obsession with sex”, citing his jabs at Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Leyonhjelm said Hanson-Young should “stop shagging men”, resulting in her taking him to court for defamation.
In the Crikey piece, Leyonhjelm was referred to as a “former liberal democratic senator and current creep”.
An apology was posted today on Crikey, released in the daily newsletter and tweeted by both managing editor Bhakthi Puvanenthiran and opinions editor Meg Watson.
“An item published in Crikey entitled ‘A ‘randy’ politician’s unsolicited contraception advice’ may have been taken by some readers to imply that former senator David Leyonhjelm was in some way a danger to women, sexually harasses them and is predisposed towards sexual assault. If any readers gained any such impression we unreservedly withdraw these inferences and apologise to Mr Leyonhjelm,” read the apology.