Taylor Martin-Lucy Wicks scandal: Where Liberal Party went wrong

The fallout after the secret relationship between MP Lucy Wicks and her staffer Taylor Martin ended has made ‘he said-she said’ headlines all week. Now the Liberal Party must uncover what happened.

It was at a train station almost a decade ago that Taylor Martin first saw Lucy Wicks.

Martin, then-22 years old, was living in Terrigal and working in Sydney as an investment consultant, so took the train from Gosford station.

Wicks was campaigning at the station ahead of the 2013 federal election. She had been selected by the Liberals to run for the Central Coast seat of Robertson, which she would go on to win.

Sources close to Martin — who was a member of the Liberal Party — said they did not officially meet until he crossed paths with Wicks at Central Coast Young Liberal functions.

Wicks had been a member of the branch. The then-moderate at one stage ran for the presidency with Matt Kean as her vice-president candidate. Wicks lost to centre-right powerbroker Alex Hawke, whose faction she would later join.

When Wicks was looking for a new staffer in 2015, Martin got the job.

MP Lucy Wicks with staffer Taylor Martin in June 2019. Picture: Facebook

And, despite an 18-year age difference, the pair would later begin a secret relationship that would only become public years later, when Wicks lodged a complaint to the Liberal Party containing explosive claims of abuse by Martin over a five-year period.

As first revealed by The Saturday Telegraph last week, those claims are now the subject of an independent investigation launched by the NSW Liberal Party.

The relationship — believed to have lasted for about a year — was kept secret from even the closest of their friends. Sources close to Martin say he would sometimes accompany Wicks to Canberra.

However, the relationship would turn toxic, before ending in 2019.

Sources close to Martin claim he tried to end the relationship, only for Wicks to keep contacting him — allegedly sending him texts, calling “in the middle of the night”, and turning up to his house years after their secret relationship had ended.

Taylor Martin was in a secret relationship with Lucy Wicks.

The text messages Wicks allegedly sent Martin after they had broken up included one allegedly referring to him potentially dating other women.

“Your choices are up to you,” the text from Wicks allegedly states.

“I can’t rescue you from the consequences of your choices, or promise you that there will be no consequences.”

A source close to Wicks said Martin needed to stop trying to “portray serious allegations as a bad break-up”.

“His behaviour speaks for itself,” the source said.

Lucy Wicks on the campaign trail in 2016. Martin can be seen in the background, left. Picture: Sue Graham

Wicks’ complaint to the party contains allegations Martin sent her “hundreds” of abusive, expletive-laden texts over five years, including four after the relationship had ended.

The texts, some of which were leaked to the media after Wicks was publicly named by 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham as the complainant, described Wicks as a “dumb slut”, a “pig”, a “f..kwit”, a “c..t”, a “sicko”, and a “f..king idiot”.

Martin, who has excused himself from the Liberal Party room pending the outcome of the investigation, has admitted to using heated words during an “ugly and undignified” break-up, while telling last week’s The Sunday Telegraph there were “two sides to every story”.

However, there is more than just text messages contained in the complaint.

Taylor Martin sent a barrage of messages (in grey, mock-up) to Lucy Wicks. Picture: Supplied 

Mr Martin does not dispute the content of the text messages. Picture: Supplied

The document — believed to be more than 25 pages long, excluding additional pages of evidence — contains allegations far more serious than foul-mouthed texts.

But, without having a copy to be able to put the allegations to Martin, The Saturday Telegraph is legally unable to publish the alleged content. It is understood the appointed senior counsel is the only person in the party to have seen the entire report.

Whatever the complaint says, questions must be asked about why it the party took so long to address the matter.

It is clear from conversations with MPs, former ministers and Liberal members this week that something was amiss for years — even if the specifics were not known.

In an interview after the 2019 federal election, Wicks hinted at her personal struggles.

Describing the previous few years as “incredibly challenging”, she spoke about having had “significant personal challenges”, which she said she had “kept private” but that one day she would “share publicly”.

Wicks now works for former PM Scott Morrison. Picture: John Feder

Two years later, on March4Justice day to end gendered violence, Wicks spoke of how it had brought back “horrible memories” for “many of us”, including herself “in my personal life and in the workplace”.

The same year, Wicks allegedly raised her concerns about Martin with her senior centre-right factional colleagues in October 2021.

Centre right powerbroker — federal Liberal MP Alex Hawke — said he had not been aware of the allegations until last week.

Wicks’ complaint also allegedly details how she met with NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman when he was attorney-general, although it is not clear if she raised specific allegations about Martin to him.

Questions are being asked if this was behind the reason Martin — who entered the Upper House in 2017 — was not given a frontbench portfolio in May after the state election this year.

Another senior Liberal Wicks spoke with in early 2022 told The Saturday Telegraph she described “a blackness in the party”, but did not name Martin.

However, it was evident that her comments related to a politician on the Central Coast, and he advised her to go the police while alerting a senior party official, the source said.

In February this year, Wicks made a verbal complaint to the party — which would soon become the subject of gossip among NSW MPs.

Party officials requested that Wicks put her allegations in writing.

The NSW Liberal Party needs to sift through the claims and counter-claims by Martin (left) and Wicks.

As for Martin, it is understood he will tell party investigators that he contacted the workplace services unit within the Department of Finance about his own concerns.

Martin will also state he went to police but, like Wicks, requested the matter not to be pursued. He also allegedly spoke with party officials.

The Sunday Telegraph has confirmed that Mr Martin did not raise any complaints about Ms Wicks while working with her.

It is not the first time Martin has had to deal with allegations against him. In 2018 then-Liberal Party vice-president Teena McQueen lodged a complaint claiming she had been the victim of verbal abuse by Martin — a claim he vehemently denied.

The independent investigator’s report found that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations and so the matter was dismissed.

After losing the seat of Robertson at the May federal election, Wicks was given a job by Scott Morrison in his seat of Cook.

The pair — both Pentecostal Christians — are understood to be close.

Friends of Wicks are worried about her, although they are glad her allegations are finally being dealt with.

“She is being very brave,” one said.

A source close to Martin, who allegedly tried to suicide, said he was “not in a good headspace” last week, but was keen to co-operate with the inquiry.

Whatever the outcome of the investigation, the lack of will by party leaders to investigate this matter at the start has led to a political trainwreck that could have been avoided.

Instead of the state Opposition being fully focused on attacking Labor for effectively ditching the $25 billion Metro West this week, Liberal MPs were instead being forced to answer questions about the scandal.

And for MPs and staffers with legitimate concerns about the behaviour of a colleague, this week does not instil confidence in the Liberal Party.

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