Nine chairman Peter Costello denies assaulting journalist
Nine Entertainment chairman Peter Costello has denied assaulting a journalist who was asking him questions in Canberra Airport.
Video of the incident yesterday afternoon shows the reporter, Liam Mendes from The Australian, falling to the ground.
"You've just assaulted me," Mendes says, in the clip, which was posted online.
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Nine chairman Peter Costello arrives to make a statement to the media following an incident at the airport with a journalist, ahead of the opening of the Nine studio and office in the press gallery at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday 6 June 2024. fedpol Photo: Alex Ellinghausen Alex Ellinghausen
"You've just pushed me. It's all on camera."
Mendes had been asking Costello questions about Nine's handling of allegations following the departure of former TV news boss Darren Wick.
Costello denied the allegations later last night in a brief doorstop with journalists at Parliament House.
The former Howard government treasurer said there was "no assault" and that he "did not lay a finger or a fist or anything else" on Mendes.
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"When I came through Canberra Airport, there was a reporter walking backwards with his phone filming," Costello said.
"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."
Costello said he wished the journalist had not fallen over but he'd seen reporters falling over while walking backwards trying to speak to someone "a million times".
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Nine Entertainment owns this website.
A Nine spokeswoman said Costello had acted appropriately.
"After arriving at Canberra Airport, the chairman was confronted by a journalist from The Australian," she said.
"In the course of filming the chairman while walking backwards, the journalist collided with an advertising placard and fell. At no point did the chairman strike the journalist."
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