Australian immigration minister apologizes for calling journalist a ‘witch’
The politician was forced to issue a mea culpa after sending the insult to the reporter, instead of his intended recipient.
Australia’s immigration minister, Peter Dutton, apologized recently after sending a text calling political reporter Samantha Maiden “a mad f**king witch.”
Dutton meant to send the message to former minister Jamie Briggs—who resigned last week after allegations of inappropriate conduct with a staffer surfaced—but accidentally sent it to Maiden instead.
Dutton downplayed the incident in a statement he issued:
I apologized to her straight away, which she took in good faith. Sam and I have exchanged some robust language over the years, so we had a laugh after this. I’m expecting a tough time in her next column.
However, some say the incident was more than just “robust language.”
Penny Wong, the Leader of the Opposition in Australia’s Senate, urged the nation’s prime minister, Malcom Turnbull, to speak out against Dutton’s comment.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today
Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.
