Labor bosses withdraw Emma Husar’s endorsement for seat of Lindsay

Hours after Bill Shorten told reporters Emma Husar had no place in his party, the embattled MP has been formally disendorsed by Labor ending an explosive week in parliament for the member for Lindsay.

• Husar staff break silence over bullying claims
• Husar threatens to run as an independent

Embattled MP Emma Husar has formally been disendorsed by Labor hours after Bill Shorten told reporters she had no place in his party.

NSW Labor bosses held a crisis meeting yesterday where they decided to withdraw Ms Husar’s endorsement for the seat of Lindsay, instead handing the preselection decision over to the National Executive.

It came after an explosive week in parliament for Ms Husar where she threatened legal action against her own party for failing to support her re-election and formally launched a separate defamation claim against website BuzzFeed and journalist Alice Workman over an article Ms Husar said was “slut-shamming”.

NSW Labor has handed a preselection decision for the seat of Lindsay over to the National Executive. Picture: Gary Ramage

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Labor Leader Bill Shorten added to her woes by telling reporters in Canberra that her reindorsement would not be in the party’s best interest.

“I said at the time when Emma wrote saying she wasn’t going to contest the next election, that I thought that was the right decision then, both for her and the party,” he told reporters in Canberra on Friday.

“I haven’t changed my mind.”

Ms Husar has backflipped from earlier comments where she announced her retirement from politics after allegations against her of bullying and sexual harassment were made public.

That came months after a Labor investigation found Ms Husar had mistreated her electorate staff, but did not find evidence to support claims of sexual harassment or of her flashing another federal MP.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told reporters Ms Husar had no place in the Labor Party. Picture: Kym Smith

However, Labor’s decision to refer the Lindsay seat preselection to the National Executive means that the party can parachute another candidate into the role over Ms Husar.

It is understood former NSW state minister Diane Beamer has been approached to take over from Ms Husar.

On Thursday afternoon Ms Husar stood in parliament to announce her defamation proceedings and where she referred to the BuzzFeed article as a “slut-shamming story” drafted with intent to go viral.

“I am not a bully,” Ms Husar said in parliament.

“I am not Sharon Stone. I am not a thief. And I did not deliberately misuse my work expenses.”

BuzzFeed said it is aware the proceedings had been issued a statement saying “we’re considering our position with our lawyers and will respond in due course.”

Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke said all MPs showed great respect when Ms Husar told parliament about her situation.

But he would not comment on the preselection process of the NSW branch and if federal MPs would intervene.

“There was no doubt in at least one of those allegations, certainly the most salacious allegation against Emma Husar, it was demonstrably untrue,” Mr Burke told ABC Radio on Friday.