Adjudication No. 1415  (adjudicated February 2009)

The Australian Press Council has dismissed a complaint by federal MP Michael Danby against The Age, Melbourne.

Mr Danby complained that a page 3 article (June 21, 2008) about a police investigation into the alleged disappearance of funds from the Australian American Association "attempted wrongfully to link [him] with the ... missing funds."

The MP had been a former president and committee member of the association. The article claimed he retained considerable influence over the association. It outlined Mr Danby's relationship with the association's former executive director and links between the association and the ALP. It also described Mr Danby's interest in the police investigation.

Mr Danby said he had shown more concern about the alleged missing funds than anyone else and had lobbied an association committee member to seek legal advice on the financial affairs of the association.

The newspaper said that Mr Danby's link to the association was a matter of public record. It denied that the article stated or implied any link to the alleged fraud. In addition, The Age published promptly a letter from the association's former executive director stating that Mr Danby was no longer involved with the association.

Subsequent to the article, Mr Danby sought to have an apology published. When it was not, he gave a personal explanation in Parliament giving his response to the June 21 article. There was a reference to this speech in an Age gossip column on September 5, which did not refer to the substance of the response. It was after this that Mr Danby lodged the complaint.

In the Council's view there was no implication in the article of involvement by Mr Danby in the alleged fraud.

[ return to top ]

Documents with the icon require the Acrobat Reader, a Free Utility from Adobe. Click here for more information.