Emma Husar investigation: Labor MP made ‘unreasonable demands’ of staff

Bill Shorten says ‘gutted’ Emma Husar will learn a lesson following damning findings, accuses the PM of being ‘obsessed’.

The report into Labor MP Emma Husar’s behaviour has been released. Picture: Nine News

Complaints from former staff of Labor MP Emma Husar that she ordered them to perform non-work personal business and they were subjected to unreasonable management demands have been found to have “merit” in an internal inquiry conducted for the NSW ALP’s head office.

Ms Husar, who announced on Wednesday that she would not be recontesting her seat at the next election but vigorously rejected any allegations against her from 22 staff that she subjected them to bullying and intimidation, and made them do domestic chores such as walking her dog and cleaning up its excrement.

A statement issued today following a meeting of NSW party officers in Sydney to consider an inquiry report by conducted by barrister John Whelan said the party had received advice that there was no basis for Ms Husar to resign from parliament.

But the NSW ALP confirmed that Mr Whelan had made highly critical findings about Ms Husar’s alleged behaviour. Mr Whelan’s report also said that allegations Ms Husar had misused her MP’s entitlements should be referred for review to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, while noting that Ms Husar had already referred herself.

Labor MP Emma Husar.

The report found that allegations of sexual harassment, on the basis of probability, were not supported. Neither were allegations of misleading parliament.

But complaints that staff performed non-work related and personal duties for Ms Husar, even accounting to the demands of political office, were found to have merit.

The report recommended that they be referred to the Department of Finance’s ministerial and parliamentary services section for advice about appropriate employment guidelines for all MPs in future.

The report found that “Complaints that staff were subjected to unreasonable management including unreasonable communications, demands, practices an disciplinary methods have merit.”

Ms Husar issued a statement responding to the summary of the report’s findings, highlighting that it had cleared her of the “most malicious and damaging of allegations”.

“I have acknowledged the difficulties I faced in establishing a new office, despite requesting assistance,” she said. “I have always been and remain willing to take guidance and help. I will take some time before returning to work to do this.

“I am gutted that the willingness of certain individuals, and certain parts of the media, to defame me on vexatious and unfounded accusations, has caused so much personal, emotional and professional damage to me, so much hurt to those close to me, and political harm to the party I love, have supported and worked so hard for.

“This has been trial by media, gossip and innuendo.”

Ms Husar reaffirmed that she would not recontest the seat of Lindsay at the next federal election.

The report by Mr Whelan was commissioned six months ago after former staffers complained to ALP head office that their attempts to seek redress through the public sector resolution procedures “had not been of assistance”.

Allegations against Ms Husar involving 22 staff employed in her office since she was first elected two years ago have been a matter of controversy inside the ALP for months, although Bill Shorten has said he only heard of the allegations when his office was contacted by Buzzfeed on July 18.

Ms Husar said his week she intended to remain in parliament until the federal election, expected some time next year. The ALP will soon open expressions of interest and call nominations for her seat, but has no replacement candidate in mind at this stage.

Mr Whelan gave the NSW ALP’s top party officers a verbal briefing on his report on Wednesday, along with a 400-page interim report based on his interviews with former staff and requests to Ms Husar for comment on allegations against her.

The report will not be released publicly.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Picture: AAP

The NSW ALP said there were concerns for the wellbeing of many involved, given the stress involved, and counselling would continue to be available to former staff.

Backbenchers such as Ms Husar are entitled to four electorate staff. Since the July 2 election, she had an unprecedented turnover of about 22.

Malcolm Turnbull said he understood that NSW Labor’s inquiry had made findings recommending that matters regarding Ms Husar’s taxpayer-funded spending should be referred to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, and that any issues of staff harassment or bullying should be dealt with by the Department of Finance, which technically employs electorate staff.

“But the real question is when did Bill Shorten know about it, because if you accept what he says, he was the last person in the Labor Party to know what was going on. How can someone who claims to be a defender of workers’ rights not be aware of what was going on, at a time when others in the Labor Party leadership group knew about, at a time when the NSW Labor Party had got a barrister to conduct an inquiry.”

The Prime Minister said Mr Shorten needed to say what he knew, when it knew it, and what he did about it “because at this stage his explanations are not believable”.

Speaking ahead of the release of NSW Labor’s statement, Bill Shorten said Ms Husar would get a chance to read the confidential report and people involved would “learn the lessons”.

“There’s been complaints and there has been a process that’s reaching some of its conclusion and the member of parliament has said she’s no longer going to seek a career in parliamentary life. Beyond that, I notice that the government seems to obsess about Labor,” the Opposition Leader said.

“I have to say to the Prime Minister, do your day job, mate. NSW Labor’s done their investigation. In the meantime, I’ve just been touring western Queensland where there’s drought. He needs to explain how he can find $444 million to give to some top end of town mates running a charity to look after the Great Barrier Reef when they didn’t ask for the money?”

Mr Shorten noted there was no precedent set by NSW Labor to release the report.

Read the full statement below