The former partner of a woman who accused Attorney-General Christian Porter of raping her in 1988 has revealed he had “relevant discussions” with her a year after the alleged incident.
Mr Porter strenuously denies the allegations, which accuse the attorney-general of raping the woman during a trip to Sydney for a debating tournament in 1988.
James Hooke, who is now the managing director of Macquarie Group, released a statement today after he was named in media reports this week.
The woman who made the allegations, named in the statement as Kate, took her own life last year before making a formal statement to police.
In his statement, Mr Hooke said he had known both Kate and Mr Porter for decades.
In addition to his discussions with Kate in 1989, Mr Hooke said he had also spoken with Mr Porter in 1992 and again in the mid-1990s.
He did not detail the nature of the conversations with Kate and Mr Porter, only saying they are “relevant”.
“I continue to be devastated by the untimely death of my very dear friend Kate, and I am enormously concerned for the privacy and dignity of Kate’s family,” Mr Hooke wrote.
“I am also concerned for the well-being of Christian Porter.
“I have known all of them for approximately 30 years.
“We all find ourselves at a very upsetting time.
“Mine is just one set of recollections, and I am aware of the fallibility of human memory, however unintentional.
“That said, I have what I consider to be clear recollections of relevant discussions I had with Kate over the years from mid-1988 until her death.
“I also have what I consider to be clear recollections of relevant discussions I had with Christian Porter from April 1992 in Perth and through the mid-1990s.”
Mr Hooke said he was the man referred to as “James” in the woman’s unsworn statement and in her diaries.
Mr Hooke said he supported an independent inquiry, citing the investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against former High Court justice Dyson Heydon.
“While I fully support the freedom of the press, I do not believe that the media is the optimal forum in which to investigate a situation of this sensitivity and significance,” Mr Hooke said.
The South Australian coroner has requested more information from police before deciding on whether to hold an inquest into the woman’s death.
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