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Collins also spoke about her distaste for gender quotas and her desire not to fuel media on internal Liberal party matters.
“I won’t be one of those who hide behind the moniker of ‘Liberal source’. I’ll always have the courage to use my name,” Collins said.
Sadly, she didn’t return CBD’s calls.
Still waiting
After winning her unlawful termination case against the ABC last week, broadcaster Antoinette Lattouf promised that she’d have “more to say” at a later date.
Last week, she remained silent, with the blanks instead being filled in by the country’s commentariat, the most absurd take coming from a Crikey piece on Lattouf’s (admittedly rather slay) trial outfits.
Jan Fran (left) recently announced the launch of Ette Media with Antoinette Lattouf.Credit: Hugh Stewart
“It’s more than a coat: An ode to Antoinette Lattouf’s meaningful courtroom fashion,” the site wrote.
Now, Lattouf has finally had more to say. Much more.
Two days before her win in the Federal Court, she announced the launch of Ette Media, a new venture with friend and business partner Jan Fran, promising “media literacy and critique that helps you get to the real story”.
Lattouf’s first full interview since last week’s judgment was an hour-plus discussion with Fran on their new podcast We Used to Be Journos.
On it, she lashes the ABC for its conduct during a sorry episode that cost the public broadcaster millions in legal bills and unquantifiable reputational damage.
She told Fran she was yet to receive a private apology from the ABC, and in particular, wanted one from chair Kim Williams.
While Williams was not in charge when Lattouf was unlawfully sacked as a fill-in radio host over social media posts about the war in Gaza, he weighed in on the topic during a National Press Club address while the case was ongoing last year.
“I’m yet to be contacted by the ABC for an apology. And in particular, I want an apology from Kim Williams, the chair of the ABC,” she said, adding that he spoke about her “venomously” and “with derision in his voice” at the NPC.
In a statement, Williams said he supported the “expression of regret and apology” issued by managing director Hugh Marks following the judgment last week.
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“I only ever wished for the matter between Ms Lattouf and the ABC to be settled and regret that was unable to be achieved,” Williams said.
“I have never said anything negative about Ms Lattouf and nor would I do so.”
Lattouf had more scathing words for Williams’ predecessor, Ita Buttrose.
“She had said some of the most horrible, dehumanising, insensitive things about me in the correspondence [between ABC managers revealed in court],” she said.
Referring to Buttrose’s affidavit denying that she took into account Lattouf’s “race or national extraction”, the broadcaster said: “I felt like she was talking about me like I was a breed of dog”.
What did Ita make of all this? We asked, but she declined to comment.
Fairy godmother appears
CBD brought word last week on the elusive case of “communications fairy godmother” Kathy Jones, the PR operative whose firm benefited greatly from the generosity of former School Infrastructure NSW boss Anthony Manning.
Evidence before the Independent Commission Against Corruption revealed Manning had extended a contract for his friend Jones’ company three times at a cost of $9 million. Jones has avoided the ICAC hearings due to being overseas, but as this column revealed, has quietly left two board positions this month.
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But last week, Jones resurfaced in London, at Australia House on the Strand, no less, where she caught a briefing on global trade trends, hearing from our fun-loving high commissioner to the UK Stephen Smith. Days later, she was at an Australian British Chamber of Commerce talkfest on energy transition.
Jones put the whole thing on her LinkedIn, and if her posts on the platform about attending various wonkish gabfests in London are anything to go by, she’s been there about a month.
It sure beats getting grilled by ICAC.
