Peter Dutton has declared that former Liberal leader Peter Costello doesn’t have “an aggressive bone of that nature in his body” after he was filmed appearing to knock over a journalist at Canberra airport.
Nine chairman Mr Costello has denied shirt-fronting a journalist and forcing him to fall to the ground during a wild doorstop interview.
Australia’s longest serving Treasurer refused to answer the reporter’s questions on Thursday afternoon and later claimed the reporter came a cropper while walking backwards.
But witnesses have compared the former deputy Liberal leader’s stature to that of “a sumo wrestler” after the 6′ 4″ (1.93m) former MP got up close with reporter Liam Mendes who works for The Australian.
It follows a furore over allegations of bullying and harassment that have engulfed Nine and a complaint over the conduct of former news chief Darren Wick.
No allegations have been made against the chairman personally.
In footage of the incident, he is grilled over the issue in the airport by Mendes, Mr Costello says “Good to see you” to a passer-by before looming large as he advances on the reporter’s camera.
“Don’t, don’t,’’ the reporter says before falling backwards.
The journalist then crashes to the ground, falls backwards with his legs in the air as the camera keeps rolling.
Mr Costello, who is seen standing over Mendes, then turns and walks away as the reporter lies on the ground.
Speaking on Channel 9, Mr Dutton said he was a “a friend of mine for over 20 years”.
“Firstly, I don’t know Liam, but he’s obviously an excellent journalist,” Mr Dutton said.
“And, the most important thing is that I hope that he’s okay.
“Secondly, to be honest, I’m probably not the best person to ask because Peter’s been a friend of mine for over 20 years, and, I’ve never seen any active aggression from him, there are obviously other camera angles which I haven’t seen.
“But the Peter Costello I know is somebody who doesn’t have an aggressive bone of that nature in his body, and I hope that the matter can be resolved amicably. And, we move on.”
On Sunrise, Education Minister Jason Clare and deputy leader of the Liberal Party Sussan Ley said the details of what had occurred were unclear.
“The journalist said it did happen and Mr Costello said it didn’t happen,” Mr Clare said.
“There is CCTV footage I am sure the airport has. It is a question as to whether they release that or provide it to the police.
“I am not sure what Sussan’s approach is to this. But my view is, if a journalist asks you a question, you stop and answer it. That is the easiest way to do it instead of running away or saying ‘no comment’ or knocking someone over.”
Ms Ley said she did not regard Mr Costello as an aggressive person.
“My first thought is I hope the journalist is OK,” she said. “I have known Peter Costello for many years and I have never known him to be aggressive in nature.
“There are different camera angles and I haven’t seen them all. Peter has spoken about it and the journalist has spoken about it.
“It is worth remembering that in public life people do need to be respectful, whether they are public figures, journalists, politicians, whoever.”
The Nine Chairman was in the nation’s capital for the launch of Nine’s newly renovated Canberra bureau in the press gallery.
Mr Costello told reporters at Parliament House that any suggestion he should resign was “rubbish” and he did not “lay a finger” on the reporter.
“As I walked past him, he walked back into an advertising placard and he fell over. I did not strike him. If he’s upset about that, I’m sorry. But I did not strike him,” Mr Costello told Nine newspapers.
“I wasn’t angry. Just like you blokes here if you’re backing back, and there’s a placard behind you, you can walk into it. I’ve seen it happen a million times, I’ve seen it here at Parliament House a million times, reporters back into the bollards and fall over,” he said.
Mr Costello bluntly rejected any suggestion he assaulted the journalist.
“It’s not assault. As I said before he was backing backwards. He hit an advertising placard. I did not lay a finger or a fist or anything else,” he said.
Speaking on Nine, former treasurer Wayne Swan said that Mr Costello was “no shrinking violet”.
“Well, in public life, you face the blowtorch from time to time and you’ve just got to keep your cool,’’ he said.
“Now there’s an argument about whether he was pushed or shoved or whatever, but, you know, when you’re a senior minister, when you’re the head of a large public company, especially a company which practises quality journalism, you’ve got to be very careful about how you behave.
“But he’s no shrinking violet. He’s given plenty of his time, and you’ve just got to take it.”