Emma Husar staff to meet inquiry barrister over ‘distorted’ findings

Emma Husar’s former staffers believe findings of an inquiry into her conduct have been played down by the ALP.

Federal MP Emma Husar in parliament. Picture: Kym Smith

The barrister appointed to investigate bullying allegations against Labor MP Emma Husar faces complaints from former staffers who believe his findings have been played down by the ALP, and also distorted by calculated advance leaks to disadvantage their cause.

John Whelan, who conducted a six-month inquiry for the NSW ALP into Ms Husar’s alleged behaviour, will meet disgruntled ex-staffers of the federal MP this week to brief them on his findings.

Representatives of the ex-staff group numbering more than 20 say their main concern is how a detailed letter that the barrister sent to Ms Husar in May outlining all allegations came to be leaked to the BuzzFeed website late in the investigation process.

They will ask Mr Whelan who in the ALP, apart from Ms Husar, might have had access to the con­fidential letter, and might be responsible for leaking.

Staffers have full confidence in Mr Whelan, who is believed to be angry about the leak and its potential to compromise his inquiry.

But the impact of the leak, they claim, was to take public attention away from what they considered the most serious allegations of systematic bullying and harassment of staff, and to instead focus on several salacious allegations that formed only a tiny part of their complaints. “What we told John Whelan was meant to be confidential for our protection. It was never to be public,” one said.

Ms Husar, re-endorsed this year for her western Sydney seat of Lindsay at the next election, said last Wednesday she would not contest her seat at the election but would stay on until then.

There are fears at senior levels of the NSW ALP, which wants her to go, that Ms Husar might now be reconsidering her future as some local supporters call for her to run again, and feminist commentators such as Jane Caro and Julia Baird rally behind her.

When the NSW ALP released a summary of Mr Whelan’s interim findings on Friday, two days after her exit announcement, Ms Husar seized on how she had been “cleared” of the “most malicious and damaging” allegations related to lewd conduct and sexual harassment. She said she did not believe any of the summary findings, including those giving “merit” to staff allegations about unreasonable management, should have cost her job.

The assessment by Mr Whelan that there was “no basis for Ms Husar to resign from ... parliament” has fuelled consternation she may now want to stay put.

That possibility has prompted the NSW party head office to say her public comments last week about quitting were equivalent to formal notice. Several lawyers familiar with party rules say Ms Husar remains the endorsed candidate for Lindsay until the ALP receives a letter saying she relinquishes her endorsement.

The party wants to head off debate by holding a fresh preselection as quickly as possible, but it lacks an obvious replacement.

Bill Shorten, still outwardly supporting Ms Husar despite ­adverse findings on staff bullying, appeared yesterday to accept she would be leaving her seat when he thanked her for her contribution to the ALP during a speech to caucus recognising departing MPs.

Ms Husar is on extended leave and was not present.