Media release: WA Premier hit with defamation letter for comments and threats about Disrupt Burrup Hub kids in the West Australian newspaper after Woodside AGM

WA Premier Roger Cook has been sent a Concerns Notice by lawyers for Emma Heyink and Tom Power, two 17-year-old Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigners who appealed to Woodside Chairman Richard Goyder and CEO Meg O’Neill about Woodside’s Browse Gas expansion by invoking the names of the executives’ children at the Woodside AGM on Wednesday April 24.

The letter states that Mr Cook has defamed Ms Heyink and Mx Power by participating in “confected media coverage” about the protest, with the Premier’s indefensibly “damaging, unsubstantiated claims” to media at a press conference on Friday April 26 aggravated by the fact that both Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigners are children.

The letter states that the Premier’s false claims, and calls for WA Police to investigate the two children, have “caused them considerable hurt, distress and anxiety” and that, should they sue the Premier, the damages awarded by a court could exceed $459,000. Noting that Ms Heyink and Mx Power do not want money, the letter invites the Premier to make an apology to the two Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigners, both in writing and verbally at a press conference, and to pay the children’s nominal legal costs of $1.

Following a shareholder revolt about Woodside’s climate plan, Emma Heyink and Tom Power (both 17) entered the AGM one week ago as proxy shareholders and invoked the names of the children of Woodside Chair Richard Goyder and CEO Meg O’Neill to protest the Browse Gas expansion, halting the AGM for several minutes while the teenage campaigners were removed by security and police while chanting "Block Browse" and "Disrupt Burrup Hub."

On Friday April 26, WA Premier Roger Cook made incorrect claims at a press conference about their protest and called for WA police to investigate and take action against the children, which The West Australian reported in an article about the Premier’s claims that morning. 

At 2pm AWST a Disrupt Burrup Hub statement responding to the Premier's defamatory threats was sent by email to all media including to the Chief of Staff and reporters at The West Australian, with follow-up phone calls and text messages to two reporters who filed stories on the subject for the West Australian on Friday, without any response.

The story ran in the print edition of The West Australian on Saturday 27 April with no right of response provided to Ms Heyink or Mx Power despite the Disrupt Burrup Hub statement provided hours before deadline the previous day.

17 year old Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigner Tom Power (they/them) said:

“I protested to block Browse at the Woodside AGM to protect children everywhere. I stood up for my future and appealed to Woodside bosses in the name of their children - some of whom have kids of their own. I was left feeling intimidated by the WA Premier threatening us with a police crackdown - which was a clear attempt to silence us on behalf of Woodside.”

17 year old Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigner Emma Heyink (she/her), a Year 12 student, said:

“The West Australian made a very foolish decision to print false statements from the WA Premier while failing to give us a right of response. The only threat towards children is the danger Woodside’s Burrup Hub poses to future generations - including the children of Woodside employees, who are all adults now. The Premier needs to apologise to every kid in Western Australia for enabling Woodside’s Burrup Hub to threaten our futures.”

Defamation lawyer Dr Michael Douglas, a consultant at Burgess Criminal Lawyers who is acting for the 17-year-olds, said: 

“I like Roger Cook but he overstepped here. His comments are clearly defamatory and indefensible. Far from being ‘despicable’, these young people have demonstrated an admirable commitment to the future of their State and the lives of their fellow Western Australians. They should be commended by their Premier, not denigrated. The Premier should apologise.“

A copy of the Concerns Notice and photos and video of the AGM are available here.