Liberal Senator Heffernan accused of homophobic assault on Lib
POLICE are investigating a claim Senator Bill Heffernan assaulted an employee of Chris Hartcher, the NSW Energy Minister, in an alleged homophobic attack at a fractious Liberal Party meeting on the central coast.
Ray Carter, 67, has accused Senator Heffernan of assaulting him and, according to sources, vilifying him over his sexuality at a gathering of party members in the federal electorate of Robertson.
Senator Heffernan was acting as an emissary of Tony Abbott at the Breakers Country Club at Wamberal on May 3. A Liberal source said the pair had been seen to physically clash on two occasions during the evening and also alleged that Senator Heffernan had aimed ''homophobic slurs'' at Mr Carter. In a statutory declaration, Mr Carter alleges Senator Heffernan hit him on his shoulder, causing him to fall into his seat, and later saying to him: ''I didn't know you were a poofter.''
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Along with Senator Arthur Sinodinos, the Liberal state president, and Mark Neeham, the party's NSW director, Senator Heffernan was in Wamberal to placate branch members upset at candidates being imposed against their wishes in the seats of Dobell and Robertson.
In Mr Carter's statutory declaration, published in News Ltd newspapers, he said: ''Senator Heffernan leaned over and hit me on my left shoulder and said something I did not hear (I am partially deaf in one ear) and tried to grab a sheet of paper out of my hands. I was knocked off balance. I said: 'Take your hands off me!' I then fell into my seat.''
He continued: ''I was shaken and upset. I said nothing more. At the end of the meeting I was standing next to the exit door leading into the corridor.
''I was alone though many people were milling about. Senator Heffernan walked up to me and said in a low voice: 'I didn't know you were a poofter.' He said this in an aggressive manner. Rather than have a confrontation I left.''
Mr Carter, who has been suspended from Mr Hartcher's electorate office over a donation scandal, waited nearly a fortnight to report the allegation to Gosford police.
Senator Heffernan did not return calls yesterday but his camp claims the assault allegation is an act of revenge. It was Senator Heffernan who was tipped off to claims that Mr Carter and another Hartcher staffer, Tim Koelma, had taken donations to support Mr Hartcher's favoured candidates but never declared the money.
The Liberal Party referred the pair to electoral authorities alleging breaches of election funding laws. Mr Carter did not return calls last night.
In 2007, he was accused of stealing $2653 from a Gosford council committee. But the charges were dismissed after a court heard that police accepted Mr Carter believed he was transferring the money from his own account.
Senator Heffernan has a record of homophobic outbursts. John Howard forced him to apologise after falsely claiming in Parliament that Justice Michael Kirby used Commonwealth cars to procure young men for sex.
Mr Neeham said he saw no altercation at the event. ''Both the state president and the state director had a clear view of the entire room and all attendees and did not witness any incident, assault or even a minor disturbance during or after the meeting.''
http://www.smh.com.au/national/heffernan-accused-of-homophobic-assault-on-lib-20...Don't know who is worse at brawling. The Young Libs or the Old Libs.
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