Traumatised Lucy Gichuhi joins Libs speaking out against ‘bullies’

Lucy Gichuhi has joined a small number of Liberal Party colleagues speaking out against bullying and intimidation.

Senator Lucy Gichuhi. Picture: Kym Smith

Lucy Gichuhi, one of the Liberal Party’s newest senators, says she is “still traumatised” by a preselection battle in which she was relegated to an unwinnable spot, and joins a small number of colleagues in speaking out against alleged bullying and intimidation.

But a push by former workplace minister Craig Laundy — a key backer of Malcolm Turnbull — to introduce an official process to deal with MPs’ complaints received a lukewarm response yesterday.

Defence Minster and Leader of the House Christopher Pyne insisted allegations of poor behaviour should be dealt with in the “normal” way.

The renewed focus on ­allegations of bullying within the party comes after first-term ­Victorian Liberal MP Julia Banks announced earlier this week that she would not contest the next election, citing bullying and intimidation from both sides of politics.

New Home Affairs Assistant Minister Linda Reynolds also lashed the “bullying and intimidation that has gone on” ahead of the leadership battle that catapulted Scott Morrison into the top job.

Senator Gichuhi, who defected to the Liberal Party in February, said she “recognised” bullying and intimidation in the midst of the leadership crisis after suffering a devastating blow earlier this year when she was preselected to the unwinnable fourth spot on the South Australian Senate ticket.

“I saw it coming and I recognised it this time … (South Aus­tralian Liberal Senate preselection) is still so fresh in my mind, I think I am still traumatised,” Senator ­Gichuhi said.

“The definition of bullying and intimidation is any act that is ­directed towards another’s mental, emotional, financial, social and even political capacity with a view to preventing another person from wilfully, freely and independently making a decision. To me, (it) is not only bullying and intimidation but also harassment.”

A Liberal Party spokesman said all divisions had procedures in place for addressing complaints about the behaviour of MPs.

The Prime Minister yesterday said he had been in touch with Ms Banks and said he would “stand up to bullies”.

“I do what’s right for Australia’s interests and I’m setting a tone and a culture that I expect all my colleagues to follow and I know they will,” he said.

South Australian Liberal senator Simon Birmingham, a leading moderate, yesterday called for Ms Banks’s bullying and intimidation claims to be “thoroughly investigated” and said he expected party whips and presiding officers would address such matters.

The Weekend Australian understands no formal complaints have been made to the party, or internally. “Should there be some sort of parliamentary or cross-party ­approach there?” Senator Birmingham said on ABC radio.

Mr Pyne said Ms Banks’s decision to stand down was a “real shame” after her “remarkable achievement” of becoming the only Liberal MP at the 2016 election to take a seat from Labor.

“If there is any bullying going on in the parliament, then it should be dealt with in a normal process,” he told the Nine Network’s Today show.