Christine Spiteri in court

From The Australian, Nine 'treats women as playthings' - Christine Spiteri

By Byron Kaye

May 23, 2008 03:09pm

CHRISTINE Spiteri has fronted court for her $500,000 unfair dismissal action against Channel Nine, accusing the network of treating female staff as "playthings".

Nine is trying to have the case filed by its former Los Angeles reporter thrown out, describing it as a "shocker'' with little substance.

The network's lawyer Robert Goot SC told the court Ms Spiteri's allegations - which include sex and racial discrimination, as well as unpaid entitlements - had "no reasonable prospect'' of being proven.

He also dismissed Spiteri's claims that Nine's news director John Westacott told female reporters they needed to be "f***able'', saying Ms Spiteri was not present at the time.

"The attitude of the defendant towards female journalists: that they're some sort of plaything,'' Ms Spiteri's lawyer Arthur Moses said.

Justice Richard Edmonds reserved his judgement on whether the case would be allowed to proceed to a later date.

Ms Spiteri, dressed entirely in black, left todays hearing without comment.