Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young appeared on The Project Monday night after winning her defamation case against David Leyonhjelm.
But it was a question thrown to her by Hamish Macdonald that seemed to catch her by surprise.
The host asked whether she’d ever be able to forgive Mr Leyonhjelm for comments he made about her throughout 2018, eliciting an emotional response from the senator.
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Ms Hanson-Young sued her former colleague over “hurtful” comments he made last year to various media outlets.
Former Liberal Democrat Mr Leyonhjelm had taken a parliamentary debate public in several interviews, attempting to explain a remark he made on the floor for her to “stop shagging men”.
The remark came amid a discussion about seeking legislation to prevent violence against women.
In a press release and in interviews afterwards, he claimed Ms Hanson-Young used words in parliament that were “tantamount” to claiming all men are rapists but “nevertheless had sexual relations with them”.
Ms Hanson-Young, who had earlier claimed he was “sl*tshaming” her, called his account of the discussion “absurd”.
She won her defamation case today, with Leyonhjelm forced to fork out $120,000.
Following the ruling, she said through tears:
“No woman deserves to be bullied and harassed in her workplace – not on the shop floor, in the office, in the factory or in the parliament.”
Appearing on The Project to discuss her victory from Canberra, Ms Hanson-Young appeared on the verge of tears again when Hamish Macdonald asked about the personal impact of the case.
“I know this is both a political story and a personal story,” Macdonald prefaced his question.
“This is a personal question. Throughout this time, have you found it possible to forgive David Leyonhjelm for what he did?”
Ms Hanson-Young answered: “You know, one of the really interesting things about the judgement today is that Justice White found Mr Leyonhjelm’s behaviour was motivated by malice and that he publicly sought to shame me.
“Pretty hard to forgive that, Hamish, I must say. I will try over time, I haven’t as yet.”
She went on to explain that she wasn’t prepared to “just get angry”, adding that the decision to take the matter to court was for a much worthier cause.
“I want to make sure every woman knows, every girl knows that you have a right to be treated with respect. And that’s why I’ve taken this action.
“I’ve done it because I’ve got the support of so many people around me. People I will never meet who have written letters of support. They’re the people I’ve done this for.”
“You talk about the personal aspect of this,” she added, “This was really for (my daughter).
“I rang her this afternoon. She got out of school just at the same time as the judgement was handed down. I said, ‘Honey, this is for you.’ She said ‘I know’ … I can’t ask for anything more than that.”
Ms Hanson-Young has said she will donate the $120,000, plus interest, to two charities – Plan International and the Working Women’s Centre in South Australia.
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