Multiple departures from Greens party roles amid Dorinda Cox allegations fallout

The two co-conveners who had tried to censure Greens senator Dorinda Cox over bullying allegations withdrew their renominations shortly after they received a legal letter from the senator.

Greens senator Dorinda Cox. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

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Senior positions across Greens WA have been cleared out amid a deepening rift between the lay party in the west and their federal counterparts over the future of embattled senator Dorinda Cox.

The Australian has confirmed that the two co-conveners, the secretary and the treasurer of Greens WA were all replaced at the party’s annual general meeting in Perth at the weekend.

The changes came just days after the quartet and other senior people in the party received a strongly worded legal letter from lawyers representing Senator Cox warning them that she would lodge a Supreme Court injunction to block any attempts to censure her in the wake of widespread bullying allegations.

Greens WA co-conveners Chloe Durand and Nat Tang withdrew their renominations to continue in the roles just hours before applications closed last week. They have since been replaced by party veteran and former Greens WA leader Giz Watson, and longstanding supporter Chilla Bulbeck.

It is understood all four office bearers replaced at the weekend had felt a lack of support from both the federal arm of the party and leader Adam Bandt for their efforts to take action around Senator Cox’s behaviour.

Former staffers of the senator have gone public with allegations about a toxic culture of bullying within her office. More than 20 people have cycled through the five positions within the office since she joined the Senate in October 2021.

Former staffers told The Australian that the senator’s conduct had affected the mental health of the workers and had left some feeling suicidal. Senator Cox this month released a statement taking responsibility for “any shortcomings” in her office and apologising for the distress that may have caused.

Durand and Tang had previously emailed party members expressing their “grave concerns” about the senator’s alleged behaviour and informing them of the censure issued against her by the party representative council’s “Quick Decision Making Group”.

Lawyers from law firm Segelov Taylor – acting for Senator Cox – had written to the office bearers that they intended to seek an injunction in the WA Supreme Court against their attempt to censure the senator and begin an internal investigation.

The Australian understands some of the office bearers were particularly concerned that the legal letter alluded to the contents of legal advice that had been provided to them out of the federal office. That sparked fears that the federal arm was colluding with Senator Cox to kill off any disciplinary action.

Asked about the latest events, a spokeswoman for Senator Cox said the senator had consistently shown her willingness to work with the WA and Australian Greens to resolve concerns raised by the membership.

“She further commits and looks forward to continuing this approach with the new co-convenors … for a fair, legally sound and culturally appropriate process for conflict resolution,” she said.

“The process followed by the previous Greens WA office co-conveners was not procedurally fair or consistent with … by-laws as per the independent legal advice and was therefore abandoned by them.”

A spokeswoman for Mr Bandt, Senator Nick McKim and Senator Penny Allman-Payne said the trio were “supportive of a process to resolve these matters which is legal and affords procedural fairness to all participants”.