Greens MP Tammy Franks uses parliamentary privilege to detail claims of sexism, racism, homophobia against ex-Liberal MP Sam Duluk

Former Liberal MP Sam Duluk has been accused in Parliament of drunken sexism, racism and homophobia in stunning claims by a Greens MP. He has denied the accusations.

Greens MLC Tammy Franks has unleashed a barrage of extraordinary allegations against independent MP Sam Duluk, detailing shocking claims of drunken sexism, racism and homophobia on the night of a boozy parliamentary Christmas party.

Speaking under parliamentary privilege on Wednesday, Ms Franks recounted claims including that Mr Duluk had told a female parliamentary staffer she had “big” breasts and he’d “like to f … them” and warned a colleague about walking in front of a male worker because “we might get f … d up the arse”.

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Mr Duluk has since announced he would run as an independent at next year’s state election.

Outlining a litany of other sordid claims, Ms Franks deplored that the parliamentary and political processes had let down the alleged victims and said they were left with no recourse after Speaker Josh Teague this week ruled a parliamentary inquiry into the night’s events would not resume.

Ms Franks also broadened the allegations beyond the infamous crossbench Christmas party, from which Mr Duluk last month was acquitted of assaulting SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros, to envelop a separate Liberal party involving MPs and staffers.

Greens upper house member Tammy Franks. Picture: Mike Burton

Former Liberal MP Sam Duluk outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Outlining an alleged game of charades at the crossbench party, Ms Franks said she saw Mr Duluk, whose groin was near two young female staffers’ heads, move his hand towards his groin and motion the “grab them by the p***y” gesture while acting as Donald Trump.

One of the young women later told Ms Franks “that was so gross, he was right near my head doing that”.

Mr Duluk strongly denied the “outrageous claims”, branding Ms Franks a long-term political adversary whose salacious comments were designed to cause maximum political damage.

Mr Duluk, the independent Waite MP, said he was “astonished that Ms Franks considered it appropriate to exploit parliamentary privilege to attempt to destroy my character” and challenged her to make the comments outside this legal protection.

Deputy Labor leader Susan Close urged Premier Steven Marshall to commission an independent investigation into Ms Franks‘ allegations.

A spokesman for Mr Marshall said only that he maintained his position that Mr Duluk‘s behaviour that night “was offensive and unacceptable”.

Ms Franks told the House:

• A FEMALE staffer was “stood over and threatened” by Mr Duluk until she removed a photo she had taken of Mr Duluk drinking spirits straight from the bottle
• MR Duluk was seen sliding down the banister of the marble staircase “waxing lyrical” with racist remarks about an upper house MP.
• HE said to a woman who works at Parliament House “you’ve got big (breasts). I’d like to f*** them.”
• HE said to a fellow MP about a member of the upper house: “He’s not a real Aboriginal. My grandmother was raped in Mildura, so maybe I am part Aboriginal”
• HE asked a female worker if she was having sex with Tammy Franks and if she and Ms Franks were lesbians.

Many times over the course of the night he told victims “I know I’m being inappropriate”, Ms Franks said.

Ms Franks accused “four or five” Liberal staffers who she said watched Mr Duluk’s antics of shirking their responsibility to ask him to “leave, to calm down, to settle down”.

“As one of them put it: ‘He’s not in my faction. I hope he’s dead in the toilet’,” she said.

Speaking about what occurred at the Liberal Party drinks, which were also held at Parliament House that night, Ms Franks said there was a video of Mr Duluk calling a staff member a “frigid b****”.

Ms Franks also said a staffer who was with Mr Duluk urinated in the corner of an MP’s office before turning around with his penis still exposed calling out “touch it, touch it”.

“I have heard many rumours, and I know others have in this place as well, of an incident of upskirting,” she said.

Mr Duluk said: “I was accused of assault and found not guilty in a Court of Law because Ms Bonaros’ detailed account of that alleged assault could not be considered credible and reliable given that the sole eyewitness she suggested had observed it, and would corroborate it, directly contradicted each and every element of it.

“I am disappointed that after the conclusion of the legal proceedings and my acquittal as well
as the Speaker’s decision to not proceed with a parliamentary inquiry, my political opponents
seek to exploit this matter.”