The Australian List – Case Study

In late 2015, retiring Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan used parliamentary privilege in a Senate Estimates hearing to claim he possessed a “very disturbing” police document listing 28 prominent individuals, predominantly connected to the legal profession but also including a former Australian prime minister, who were implicated in child sexual abuse.

He stated that the 28 names on the list had frequented Costellos Boy Brothel in Kings Cross Sydney.

He also spoke about a Justice Gary Neil whose name in the trade was the “Gorilla in black lace”. Whilst presiding over the case of a man who was eventually convicted for raping his siblings, Justice Neil said to the court the law was out of date and sex with siblings should be legal, and it should not be illegal to have sex with children.

It has also been alleged that all members of parliament signed a suppression order to keep those names private for 90 years but this is unsubstantiated.

Parliamentary privilege does not protect individuals outside Parliament. Do not assume that claims made under privilege can be repeated or published by others without legal risk. This means that you can report on the existence of the speech and the allegations made but cannot present them as facts.

WARNING: Be extremely careful about publishing unverified allegations or “secret lists”

This does not mean you can’t create a campaign to PUSH awareness of the existence of such a list and the nature of the allegations. It only means it must be done carefully. eleasing “unverified” information, such as a “secret list” of individuals implicated in serious crimes like child sexual abuse, carries severe personal and legal risks

If you publish names from such a list, even if you label them “alleged,” you could face:

  • Massive defamation lawsuits: You could be sued for substantial financial damages if the allegations are false or cannot be proven true in court.
  • Intense smear campaigns and character attacks: Expect coordinated efforts to discredit you, your motives, and your character, potentially damaging your personal and professional life.
  • Personal retaliation from powerful individuals: Those named may seek retribution through various means, leveraging influence and resources.
  • Systemic suppression: Your message, regardless of how widely shared, may be quickly removed or throttled across social platforms and mainstream media. Participants could still face consequences – even in the thousands.

True whistleblowing, especially concerning powerful figures, requires extensive preparation, advanced skills in evidence gathering and verification, and often legal counsel. It is a complex and dangerous undertaking that should never be approached lightly or without meticulous planning and robust, verifiable evidence.