Cricket Tasmania Chief Executive reveals he apologised to Government Minister over executive’s comments
Cricket Tasmania Chief Executive Nick Cummins has reportedly advised that he called Tasmanian Health Minister Michael Ferguson to apologise for tweets that were critical of local abortion policy, posted by Cricket Australia executive Angela Williamson.
Williamson alleged a senior member of the Tasmanian Government disclosed the fact she had a pregnancy terminated to her employer, but the Government denied sharing any information that was not already on the public record.
Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman indicated the only conversation between a member of his Government and anyone from Cricket Australia or Cricket Tasmania concerning Williamson was a phone call between Cummins and Minister Ferguson in the weeks before Williamson was sacked from her government relations job.
She was fired in late June after tweeting criticisms of the Tasmanian Government's action on abortion access.
Cummins told ABC Radio Hobart he called Minister Ferguson to apologise about Williamson's tweets, telling him they were out of line and that "we ... won't do it again".
Cricket Australia, of which Cricket Tasmania is a subsidiary, cited two other tweets critical of the Tasmanian Government in her termination letter.
Premier Hodgman said Cummins had also tried to call him but he was in transit and unable to speak.
Premier Hodgman told the ABC “as per what Mr Cummins has said, (Mr Ferguson) appreciated the call, and ... said he would be more than happy to not only forgive Ms Williamson, so to speak, but not to seek any action from Cricket Australia, not to seek to influence them in any way with respect to her employment.
"Our relationship with Ms Williamson in the past in her working capacity has always been a good one."
Senior Tasmanian Liberal staffer Martine Haley was forced to quit her post in March after she was caught using a fake social media account to troll people.
Documents show that Haley's email account was used to send photos of Williamson's comments on Twitter about abortion to Cricket Tasmania in an apparent attempt to have her reprimanded.
Premier Hodgman said Haley's behaviour was unauthorised and unacceptable.
Image: Cricket Tasmania’s Nick Cummins. Courtesy of Facebook/Nick Cummins.
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