Mal Brough (Longman, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I was informed that Mr Andrews had decided to do an interview for the Lateline program on the afternoon before the interview took place on 2 June. The ABC approached Mr Andrews directly, before it knew of his appearance before the coronial inquest into the deaths of three young petrol sniffers. As is made clear in Mr Andrews’s own public statement, the decision to appear was made by him alone. It is simply not true to suggest that Mr Andrews appeared at my request. Mr Andrews was speaking about these issues while he was still working at Mutitjulu, most particularly during the Northern Territory coronial inquest into the petrol-sniffing deaths in August last year.

I was informed that Mr Andrews had decided that he would only appear anonymously as he had already experienced a number of threats, particularly at one time when his wife was pregnant, and, as a result, he had previously withdrawn testimony that he had given to the coronial inquest because he felt fearful. The reason he undertook to appear on Lateline is that he is concerned for the community of Mutitjulu. He had important evidence to provide. He was not the only person to provide that evidence. I would say to many of those that sit opposite that, rather than attempting to attack a person who is trying to uncover very serious issues, they should—

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