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22/03/05
SMH
The Minister for Health confirmed last night that DNA testing had proved Daniel O'Connor, 27, an ABC sound recordist in the federal parliamentary press gallery, was not his son.
"I really think that this is a matter for Daniel above all else. I have gone through 27 years of life convinced that I was Daniel's dad, but it appears that is not the case," he said.
"And I'm sorry that poor old Daniel has been dragged through the public spotlight as a result of a connection to me which it now appears was never the case."
The story was broken on Channel Seven News last night with the revelation that another anonymous man had contacted Mr Abbott's then teenage girlfriend and the mother of his "son", Kathy Donnelly, claiming that he suspected he was Mr O'Connor's biological father.
He had spoken with Ms Donnelly at her Port Hedland home in Western Australia after Mr Abbott received blanket coverage around the country last month for his heart-warming story of how he had found his "son".
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AdvertisementThe man told Ms Donnelly that Mr O'Connor closely resembled one of his other children.
The four involved, Ms Donnelly, Mr Abbott, the unidentified man and Mr O'Connor, took DNA tests which determined the Health Minister was not the father.
Mr Abbott said he spoke to Mr O'Connor late last week after he received news about the testing.
"It was something that, once Kathy had talked to me about it, we both decided that it was probably in Daniel's best interest if he knew who his dad was," he said.
Mr Abbott said he wished Mr O'Connor and Ms Donnelly all the best. "I hope they have a great life and I guess I'm just sad for him that he's been dragged through the media mill because of a connection with me which it now seems didn't exist," he said.
Mr Abbott said the past few months had been "a bit wild".
"To find the boy I thought I had all those years ago and to go through a reunion and now to lose him like this is pretty shocking and I feel a bit numb about it all," he said.
"Truth is stranger than fiction. This story has certainly developed some pretty surreal twists."
The story was broken in newspapers on February 20, after word was judiciously leaked that The Bulletin magazine's March 1 issue was to run a story "How I found my son" in Tony Abbott's "own words".
Mr Abbott had started a relationship with Ms Donnelly in 1975 while completing year 12 at St Ignatius College, Riverview. When the pair went to university, Ms Donnelly gave birth to a baby boy at Mater Hospital, Crows Nest, on July 26, 1977. Mr Abbott was under the impression that the baby was his son and he saw him briefly before Ms Donnelly relinquished the boy for adoption five days after the birth.
In December last year, Mr O'Connor contacted Ms Donnelly at her Port Hedland home.
She said in subsequent interviews that she had told her son that Mr Abbott was his father.
Last Boxing Day, Mr Abbott phoned his son. Mr O'Connor's reported response was: "Thanks for having me."
The story had additional piquancy owing to the fact that the "son" was a soundman with the ABC in the parliamentary press gallery and had often worked side-by-side with his "father" with neither man realising their relationship.
In the months before, a number of Government members started talking about looking into the issue of abortion but Mr Abbott denied his publicising of how he found his "son" was related to the issue.
The story received wide coverage with Ms Donnelly, Mr O'Connor - who was holidaying in Europe when the story broke - and his adopted father, John O'Connor, giving poignant interviews.
The Prime Minister, John Howard, said: "Although it has become a very public issue because it involves a high-profile politician, it is still an intensely private matter and I don't want to start pontificating about it except to say that nothing that has happened alters my deep personal regard for Tony Abbott."
He said he had nothing further to say about the affair except to "wish everybody involved well, Daniel, Tony and the other parties who are involved. It is not for me to start passing judgement and pontificating about it," Mr Howard told Sky News.
He said he had not spoken to Mr Abbott about it but he would.
SMH
The Minister for Health confirmed last night that DNA testing had proved Daniel O'Connor, 27, an ABC sound recordist in the federal parliamentary press gallery, was not his son.
"I really think that this is a matter for Daniel above all else. I have gone through 27 years of life convinced that I was Daniel's dad, but it appears that is not the case," he said.
"And I'm sorry that poor old Daniel has been dragged through the public spotlight as a result of a connection to me which it now appears was never the case."
The story was broken on Channel Seven News last night with the revelation that another anonymous man had contacted Mr Abbott's then teenage girlfriend and the mother of his "son", Kathy Donnelly, claiming that he suspected he was Mr O'Connor's biological father.
He had spoken with Ms Donnelly at her Port Hedland home in Western Australia after Mr Abbott received blanket coverage around the country last month for his heart-warming story of how he had found his "son".
Advertisement
AdvertisementThe man told Ms Donnelly that Mr O'Connor closely resembled one of his other children.
The four involved, Ms Donnelly, Mr Abbott, the unidentified man and Mr O'Connor, took DNA tests which determined the Health Minister was not the father.
Mr Abbott said he spoke to Mr O'Connor late last week after he received news about the testing.
"It was something that, once Kathy had talked to me about it, we both decided that it was probably in Daniel's best interest if he knew who his dad was," he said.
Mr Abbott said he wished Mr O'Connor and Ms Donnelly all the best. "I hope they have a great life and I guess I'm just sad for him that he's been dragged through the media mill because of a connection with me which it now seems didn't exist," he said.
Mr Abbott said the past few months had been "a bit wild".
"To find the boy I thought I had all those years ago and to go through a reunion and now to lose him like this is pretty shocking and I feel a bit numb about it all," he said.
"Truth is stranger than fiction. This story has certainly developed some pretty surreal twists."
The story was broken in newspapers on February 20, after word was judiciously leaked that The Bulletin magazine's March 1 issue was to run a story "How I found my son" in Tony Abbott's "own words".
Mr Abbott had started a relationship with Ms Donnelly in 1975 while completing year 12 at St Ignatius College, Riverview. When the pair went to university, Ms Donnelly gave birth to a baby boy at Mater Hospital, Crows Nest, on July 26, 1977. Mr Abbott was under the impression that the baby was his son and he saw him briefly before Ms Donnelly relinquished the boy for adoption five days after the birth.
In December last year, Mr O'Connor contacted Ms Donnelly at her Port Hedland home.
She said in subsequent interviews that she had told her son that Mr Abbott was his father.
Last Boxing Day, Mr Abbott phoned his son. Mr O'Connor's reported response was: "Thanks for having me."
The story had additional piquancy owing to the fact that the "son" was a soundman with the ABC in the parliamentary press gallery and had often worked side-by-side with his "father" with neither man realising their relationship.
In the months before, a number of Government members started talking about looking into the issue of abortion but Mr Abbott denied his publicising of how he found his "son" was related to the issue.
The story received wide coverage with Ms Donnelly, Mr O'Connor - who was holidaying in Europe when the story broke - and his adopted father, John O'Connor, giving poignant interviews.
The Prime Minister, John Howard, said: "Although it has become a very public issue because it involves a high-profile politician, it is still an intensely private matter and I don't want to start pontificating about it except to say that nothing that has happened alters my deep personal regard for Tony Abbott."
He said he had nothing further to say about the affair except to "wish everybody involved well, Daniel, Tony and the other parties who are involved. It is not for me to start passing judgement and pontificating about it," Mr Howard told Sky News.
He said he had not spoken to Mr Abbott about it but he would.
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