Liberal MP quits politics after abuse claims by women

Liberal MP Nicolle Flint has announced she is quitting politics after previously being outspoken on the abuse faced by female politicians.

Liberal MP Nicolle Flint has announced she is quitting federal politics in a surprise move that comes in the wake of a flood of abuse allegations from women in Canberra.

Ms Flint did not give an explanation for her decision, but the South Australian MP has previously been outspoken about the misogyny she faced as a female politician.

“I have informed the Prime Minister and the Liberal Party that I will not be re-nominating for the seat of Boothby at the forthcoming election,” Ms Flint said in an email sent to voters on Friday evening and seen by The Age.

“I will continue to work hard to serve you and my local community until the next election.

“I will work to support the candidate who is pre-selected by our Liberal party members to ensure we return a Liberal government, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, to guide our nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”

South Australian Liberal MP Nicolle Flint says she is quitting politics.

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Her exit comes after news.com.au broke the story of Brittany Higgins’ claim she was raped in Parliament House in March 2019, and felt pressured not to pursue a complaint to safeguard her career. Since her claim, the Prime Minister has apologised and ordered a workplace culture inquiry.

Three women have claimed they were assaulted by the same man as Ms Higgins, while others made allegations about other incidents that happened at Parliament House or in public service.

Overnight, it emerged that Scott Morrison has been notified by letter of a sexual assault allegation against a male minister, which reportedly occurred in 1988 before the accused entered Parliament.

Last September, Ms Flint told a parliamentary committee looking into the 2019 election that she was stalked and photographed by a man and had her office vandalised with graffiti calling her a “prostitute” during the campaign.

She warned that people would be discouraged from running for governments if they feared they might be subject to “disgusting attacks”.

RELATED: Abuse in politics shockingly widespread

Sick of sexist garbage?

I am, which is why I’m calling out @abcadelaide’s Peter Goers rubbish views about my appearance, published in yesterday's @theTiser Sunday Mail.

It’s time women in public life are judged on what they stand for, not what they look like. #GarbagelikeGoerspic.twitter.com/tk9DRyM0nN

— Nicolle Flint MP (@NicolleFlint) July 27, 2020

“The abuse, aggression, stalking, misogynistic and bullying behaviour and vandalism,” she said.

“I want to ensure that no future candidates, or MP, whether they are male or female … has to go through what I went through.”

In July last year, she stripped down to a garbage bag in a video message against sexism, saying it was time women in public life are judged on what they stand for, “not what they look like”.

She hit out at ABC Radio Adelaide host Peter Goers for making comments about her appearance in a Sunday Mail column. And she highlighted a tweet in which she said former journalist Mike Carlton wrote that singer Jimmy Barnes showed “great restraint” in an episode of Q&A for not leaping from his chair and “strangling” her.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young commended Ms Flint at the time for standing up and calling out the “constant sexism dished out to women in politics”.

“Doesn’t matter what side you are on, no woman should have to put up with sexism in the workplace,” she wrote in a tweet.

SA Labor Senator Marielle Smith wrote she was “rarely in furious agreement” with Ms Flint but was 100 per cent behind her decision to call out gendered nonsense.

Labor MPs Anika Wells, Madeleine King, Peta Murphy and Milton Dick also backed Ms Flint’s move.

Labor Senator Penny Wong hit back at Ms Flint’s claims she had failed to condemn the stalking, saying: “Ms Flint continues to insist the inappropriate behaviour of an individual was part of a co-ordinated sexist campaign against her.

“This has no basis in fact.”

Senator Wong said she spoke out in August when Ms Flint was “actually been the subject of sexist criticism”.

“I look forward to similar support from Ms Flint the next time I am subject to abuse for being Asian, gay or a woman,” Senator Wong said.

“Ms Flint should now meet her own standards and publicly condemn the behaviour of her close friend, ally and campaign manager Sam Duluk, who she continues to campaign with despite him being charged with assaulting a woman in state parliament.”

Mr Duluk, a former state Liberal MP, was charged in April last year after he allegedly assaulted fellow MP Connie Bonaros at a parliamentary Christmas party.