Senator Sarah Hanson-Young accused of dragging daughter Kora, 11, into brawl with David Leyonhjelm

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has been slammed for enlisting her 11-year-old daughter to denounce another politician for making comments about her mother’s sex life.

The federal lawmaker from Adelaide has taken legal action against Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm after he told her last month to ‘stop shagging men’ during a heated debate about capsicum spray.

Senator Hanson-Young, who has previously denied suggesting all men were rapists, appeared on The Sunday Project with her 11-year-old daughter Kora Young.

 

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has been slammed for enlisting her 11-year-old daughter Kora to denounce another politician for making comments about her mother’s sex life

Asked by Network Ten interviewer Lisa Wilkinson what she would say to Senator Leyonhjelm, Kora replied: ‘Being a bully was not right and I would try to stay confident which most women and young women must do.’

The girl also criticised Senator Leyonhjelm, a Sydney-based free speech libertarian, for refusing to apologise to her mother.

‘I think it’s wrong,’ she said.

Kora said she had also confronted a girl at primary school who had suggested her 36-year-old mum had  ‘lots of boyfriends’.

‘I said that that was a lie and whoever said that was not being fair,’ she said.

The Greens lawmaker has taken legal action against Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm after he told her last month to 'stop shagging men' during a heated debate

The Greens lawmaker has taken legal action against Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm after he told her last month to ‘stop shagging men’ during a heated debate

‘Being unfair to women or any gender isn’t right and, like, he’s refused to apologise and he deserves to apologise.’

Conservative commentator Andrew Bolt said Senator Hanson-Young was exposing her daughter to more playground taunts to score political points.

‘It makes an 11-year-old a political target – and also a possible target for playground teasing,’ he said on his Herald Sun blog today.

‘And how is Leyonhjelm meant to defend himself from this criticism? To respond would hurt Kora and make him seem a bully.

‘It does seem too much like using a child to get a free kick, and I suspect Sarah Hanson-Young will lose a lot of the support she has so far won.’

The Project's Lisa Wilkinson asked 11-year-old Kora Young what she would say to Senator David Leyonhjelm is she saw him

The Project’s Lisa Wilkinson asked 11-year-old Kora Young what she would say to Senator David Leyonhjelm is she saw him

The Project's Lisa Wilkinson said Senator Hanson-Young had consented to involving Kora in the interview

The Project’s Lisa Wilkinson said Senator Hanson-Young had consented to involving Kora in the interview

The Project’s Lisa Wilkinson said Senator Hanson-Young had consented to involving Kora in the interview.

‘We asked Sarah if she wanted her involved in the interview and she replied, “Yes, Kora wants to have her say”. 

As a two-year-old girl in 2009, Kora unwittingly became involved in another political drama when her mother took her into the Senate chamber during a late night vote, which led to her daughter being ejected.

In late June, Senator Hanson-Young became involved in another confrontation, this time with Senator Leyonhjelm during a debate about whether women should be allowed to carry pepper spray or tasers to defend themselves.

In late June, Senator Hanson-Young became involved in a confrontation with Senator Leyonhjelm during a debate about whether women should be allowed to carry pepper spray

In late June, Senator Hanson-Young became involved in a confrontation with Senator Leyonhjelm during a debate about whether women should be allowed to carry pepper spray

In subsequent days, the Greens senator for South Australia accused her libertarian opponent of ‘slut shaming’ her during an ABC Radio National interview.

A week after that parliamentary confrontation, Senator Hanson-Young hired legal firm Kennedys Australasia, who demanded an apology and compensation on her behalf.

The pair clashed on the last sitting day of June when Senator Leyonhjelm believed he heard Senator Hanson-Young say words to the effect of ‘all men are rapists’ in parliament, which she denied.

Senator Leyonhjelm admitted he had told her to ‘stop shagging men’ in response.

The notice claims he caused ‘hurt, stress and embarrassment’ over comments made in the media between July 1 and 4 regarding her opinions about men, which he described as ‘without merit’.



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