Nationals to sit on result of Barnaby Joyce sexual harassment inquiry

The outcome of a sexual harassment investigation that ended Barnaby Joyce’s reign will not be made public.

The findings of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Barnaby Joyce won’t be formally made public.

The outcome of a lengthy investigation into the sexual harassment allegations that ended Barnaby Joyce’s reign as Nationals leader and deputy prime minister will not be formally made public, the party has revealed.

Mr Joyce told The Australian today he wanted the investigation by the NSW division of the Nationals to be wound up, labelling the allegations by prominent West Australian woman Catherine Marriott “spurious and ­defamatory”.

He said he reiterated his previous comments that the matter should be referred to police.

Ms Marriott’s confidential complaint referred to an allegation of “sexual harassment and-or misconduct” by Mr Joyce outside Canberra’s Kurrajong Hotel in August last year.

The complaint was lodged with the federal Nationals on February 20 and sent to the NSW division to be investigated on March 3.

Ms Marriott, a former WA rural woman of the year, is a councillor with the Shire of Broome and is employed as WA project manager for the Co-operative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia.

Catherine Marriott.

Both Mr Joyce and Ms Marriott confirmed today the matter had yet to be finalised. A spokeswoman for Ms Marriott said: “The matter is ongoing and she has no comment to make at this time.”

NSW Nationals director Ross Cadell said the party wanted the sexual harassment claim to remain confidential. He said the secrecy around the claim was a result of the huge publicity it generated when it emerged.

“If it’s completed, people will have been notified (of the result),” Mr Cadell said.

“If it’s not completed, people will be notified. Nothing will be said externally.”

The revelation of Ms Marriott’s complaint was explosive as it emerged while Mr Joyce was under intense pressure over revelations of his affair with former staffer Vikki Campion.

Mr Joyce later admitted that the allegation had led him to decide he could not keep his posts as Nationals leader and deputy prime minister.

In a statement on March 7, Ms Marriott said she made the complaint against Mr Joyce because she wanted to “speak up against inappropriate behaviour by people in powerful positions”.

Mr Joyce’s backers say the allegation was “weaponised” by his political opponents to remove him from his $400,000-a-year job.