Labor adviser Marcus Ganley ‘quit after sex claim’

Adviser working for senator Penny Wong left his job after being accused by a female party member of serious misconduct.

Marcus Ganley.

A senior adviser working for Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong left his job after being accused by a female party member of serious misconduct.

Marcus Ganley, Senator Wong’s chief of staff, left his position in February after a formal complaint alleging sexual harassment was made to Anthony Albanese’s ­office earlier that month.

Mr Ganley, who now works in a senior position at the ACT’s Chief Minister Directorate, denied the allegations and said his reasons for leaving were “clear to the people who need to know”.

Multiple sources told The Australian that the alleged incident took place at a private Adelaide event in early February.

The Labor leader’s office intervened days after being notified of the complaint, sources with ­detailed knowledge of the discussions said.

Mr Ganley, a New Zealander, came to some prominence in 2017 after being outed as the Labor staffer who had informal discussions with New Zealand Labour MP Chris Hipkins about the section 44 constitutional crisis roiling the Turnbull government.

Mr Hipkins subsequently raised queries about Australian dual citizens during parliamentary questions, leading to a sharp rebuke from Julie Bishop.

“I would find it very hard to build trust with those involved in allegations designed to undermine the government of Australia,” Ms Bishop, the then foreign minister, said at the time.

Mr Ganley resigned from Senator Wong’s office in the sitting week starting February 10 after speaking to her and the Opposition Leader’s chief of staff, Tim Gartrell, sources familiar with the conversation said.

Senator Wong told Mr Ganley she had lost confidence in his ability to run her office.

Mr Ganley departed later that day, but told colleagues he was taking sick leave.

His exit was announced to Labor staff the following week.

The Australian is not suggesting the allegation is true, only that the complaint was made.

The Australian has chosen not to reveal the identity of the complainant to protect her privacy.

A spokesman for Mr Albanese said the complaint had been “resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant”. “We will not comment further on this matter out of respect for the privacy of the complainant,” he said.

There was no investigation and few in federal Labor circles are aware of the reason behind Mr Ganley’s sudden departure.

To complicate matters, Mr Ganley’s partner is employed as an adviser in Mr Albanese’s office.

One female Labor MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, praised Mr Albanese’s office for the handling of the complaint. She said the MeToo movement, which has embroiled the entertainment industry and the judiciary, had largely ignored political advisers in parliament.

Last year, two female Liberal staffers alleged they were sexually assaulted while working for senior politicians. One woman worked for a federal minister and said another parliamentary staffer pinned her down and ripped off her underpants during a sitting week in 2015.

The second was a former adviser in the office of the NSW Speaker, who said another Liberal Party member had come to her house and forced himself on her while masturbating.

Thomas Mooney took over as Senator Wong’s chief of staff in February, after serving as deputy for the previous year.