Richard Marles staffer Jo Tarnawsky alleges she was ‘bullied’ out of her job

The Deputy Prime Minister’s chief of staff Jo Tarnawsky says he abandoned her when she complained of bullying and she was subjected to treatment that was ‘cowardly and cruel.’

Richard Marles' chief of staff Jo Tarnawsky says she was bullied in his office.

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Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles’ chief of staff Jo Tarnawsky says she is seeking to hold her boss “accountable” but does not anticipate launching litigation, after she was allegedly “bullied” by staff members and abandoned by the minister when she complained.

Ms Tarnawsky claimed the Defence Minister made the call to effectively remove her from the senior position — despite her still officially holding the role — after she complained to him about “misconduct” and “bullying” from other staff.

Her lawyer said the ball was now in the government’s court to resolve her “untenable” situation, revealing that support services for parliamentary staff set up following a landmark review into the workplace culture in Parliament House by former sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins had been “involved”.

Though Ms Tarnawsky did not rule out legal action, she has not yet filed her claim and has not publicly called for compensation. She also accepts returning to her old role is “impossible”.

A visibly shaking Ms Tarnawsky fronted the media at Parliament House on Thursday, the last day of the sitting week when Mr Marles was also Acting Prime Minister, declaring that she was the “most senior female chief of staff on the hill” but her workplace was not “safe”.

Ms Tarnawsky claimed she had suffered nightmares, flashbacks, symptoms of depression and anxiety, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts since she was sidelined.

“What I want is for people to know the truth and for Richard Marles – as well as those who have enabled his behaviour – to be held accountable for what has happened,” she said.

“I am being bullied out of a job I loved, that I was doing well. It was a job that I dreamed of having since I first visited Parliament House as a child.”

The politically damaging allegation that she has been moved into another temporary role and barred from entering Mr Marles’ office without notice despite still officially holding the chief of staff role, undermines the Albanese government’s promise to create a safer parliamentary workplace.

Mr Marles said while he was satisfied he had complied with workplace standards he felt “deeply sad” about the situation, describing Ms Tarnawsky as a “wonderful person” whom he had known since she served as his chief of staff when he was Secretary for Foreign Affairs in 2012.

“This is obviously very difficult,” he said.

“Let me say that in the way in which I’ve tried to manage this, I have done so with Jo’s welfare in mind at every moment, as I would try to manage things on that basis for all of my staff.”

A spokeswoman for Mr Marles said some of Ms Tarnawsky’s “assertions and recollections are contested”.

Peter Dutton said Ms Tarnawsky was “incredibly brave” and her professional experience gave her “credibility”.

“The government runs a double standard, there’s no doubt about that, and a lot of the Left-wing media won’t have much to say about this, because it’s an allegation against a Labor minister,” he told 2GB radio.

Teal MP Kylea Tink said that while all the facts of the case were yet to be known there was still a “poor workplace culture in parliament”.

“It’s nearly two years since the draft codes of behaviour were adopted by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and nearly three since the Jenkins report was handed down, yet we are still hearing about allegations of bullying and unacceptable behaviour,” she said.

“Our federal parliament should set the standard for the rest of the nation and it’s past time for change.”

Fellow independent MP Zali Steggall said the claims were a “serious matter” and raised concerns that “due process may not have occurred”.

“I trust the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service and the new Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission will do all they can to support the matter,” Ms Steggall said.

Marque Lawyers managing partner Michael Bradley, who is representing Ms Tarnawsky, did not provide details of the bullying but said he looked “forward to hearing from the government as to how it proposes to deal with the situation”.

Ms Tarnawsky alleged her position in Mr Marles’ office began to unravel shortly after she successfully salvaged his trip to Ukraine when his schedule broke down in April. She said she texted the Defence Minister to inform him of the “bullying” behaviour she had experienced.

Ms Tarnawsky alleges the government had failed to follow “fair process” and she had been effectively removed from her position without warning, after Mr Marles assured her before directing her to take forced leave to “trust” him. She claimed that when she returned she was told she would never return to the role.