Adam Bandt coy on fate of Greens senator Dorinda Cox accused of bullying staff

The Greens were under pressure on Thursday to reconsider whether West Australian senator Dorinda Cox should continue in senior roles while investigations are under way into bullying complaints against her.

WA Greens senator Dorinda Cox. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

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The Greens were under pressure on Thursday to reconsider whether West Australian senator Dorinda Cox should continue in senior roles while investigations are under way into bullying complaints against her.

Greens leader Adam Bandt told reporters that complaints by former staff of Senator Cox were being investigated by the new body established to do such work.

Some of the complaints had been made to Mr Bandt’s office, The Australian has confirmed.

“What we did was support people to bring those matters to the independent parliamentary workplace support service, and I think that is completely appropriate,” Mr Bandt said.

Alleged bullying and intimidatory behaviour by Senator Cox towards her parliamentary staff left at least one worker feeling suicidal, The Australian has been told.

At least 20 people have worked in Senator Cox’s small office since she was sworn into the Senate in October 2021.

Senator Cox, a Yamtji-Noongar woman, is the Greens spokeswoman on First Nations matters, trade, tourism, resources and northern Australia.

Veteran activist and Aboriginal elder Esther Montgomery described her brief stint working for Senator Cox as “psychological warfare” and claimed she and other staff were put down multiple times a day. She said “brilliant people” were among staff that Senator Cox berated as “no good” and “useless”.

“She does play the race card and I think that’s why she hasn’t been sanctioned by Adam Bandt, who’s fully aware of her behaviour,” Ms Montgomery said,

The Australian has spoken to seven former staffers. They told similar stories of aggressive and intimidatory behaviour from Senator Cox towards employees.

One former staffer told how she was feeling suicidal by the time she finally quit her role. She said she later suffered a mental breakdown and now relied on daily medication to help her cope with lingering trauma.

Another ex-employee recalled watching a younger co-worker shaking with distress after an interaction with the senator.

The ex-employee described her concerns for the co-worker’s state of mind and her potential for self-harm.

The Australian has also obtained copies of letters of complaint, resignation letters and other correspondence lodged with the office of Mr Bandt and the office of Parliamentary Workplace Support Services in which concerns about the senator’s behaviour were expressed.

A current Greens member told The Australian the party recently agreed to hire an independent investigator to look into the complaints and the ongoing staff turnover in Senator Cox’s office.

Mr Bandt did not answer when asked at his press conference on Thursday if Senator Cox would lose her portfolios.

Instead, he said: “These matters are being dealt with by the independent body, the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, and they’re the body that can make any recommendations.

“So I am not going to comment on individual matters that are being brought before an independent body, that wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Senator Cox did not attend a press conference with the Greens leader in her home town of Perth on Thursday, although she was reportedly sighted at her office less than 4km away.

Senator Cox did not respond to questions, phone calls or texts to her spokesperson.