Former Mayor Steve Christou slams Labor over bullying complaints

A former mayor has come out swinging against Labor’s bullying complaints process, revealing his own “distress” when he tried to speak out five years ago.

A Federal MP has been drawn into the latest bullying scandal to hit NSW Labor, with a prominent former Mayor accusing the party of sweeping complaints under the rug and black-listing staff who speak out.

Former Cumberland Mayor and current councillor Steve Christou has become the first person to put their name to fresh allegations of MPs bullying staff since the release of a bombshell review of bad behaviour in NSW parliament.

It comes as Labor Leader Chris Minns said it would not be “practicable” for him to contact frontbencher Tania Mihailuk’s staff to check whether they have concerns about their boss, because too many people work for her.

Speaking exclusively to The Daily Telegraph, Mr Christou said that staff in state and federal politics have “no recourse” to complain about their boss who is the “sole authority” of what happens in an office.

“Staff are absolutely powerless, if they’re working for an unreasonable and abusive MP.”

Labor Leader Chris Minns. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“There’s no independent body that governs staffers. At the end of the day, the MPs who are the staffers’ boss are the sole authority of what goes on in the office.

“Now, if they’re not happy with a staffer, or if they abusive and bullying towards staff, staff can’t do anything about it,” Mr Christou said.

“If you go out and complain and become a whistleblower, you’re often barred from other MPs offices because they regard you as a trouble maker or someone that can’t keep office secrets.”

Mr Christou was a long term Labor member until he quit the party in 2019 after being elected as Cumberland Mayor.

It can be revealed that while he worked as a staffer to current Labor MP for Werriwa Anne Stanley, Mr Christou complained about the MP’s behaviour, alleging she was “abusive and intimidating”.

In a detailed email obtained by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Christou wrote to Ms Stanley in January of 2017 to complaint about her behaviour – allegations which Ms Stanley denies.

Former Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou. Picture: John Appleyard

He outlined four separate events which he said caused him “great distress”. The alleged behaviour was in relation to how he completed certain office tasks.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Ms Stanley said: “The MP categorically denies the allegations listed”.

Mr Christou said he was moved to speak out by allegations against state Labor MPs Walt Secord and Tania Mihailuk as revealed in The Telegraph.

While he had “no doubt” that bullying happens “across the board” in politics, he said there was a prevalence of Labor MPs allegedly abusing their staff.

He backed calls for an independent body to consider handle complaints from staff against their bosses, something proposed by the explosive Broderick Review into NSW parliament.

The former mayor was involved in an altercation outside a polling booth during local council elections resulting in a 29 year old man being sentenced for Mr Christou’s assault.

Bankstown Labor MP Tania Mihailuk. Picture: Tim Hunter

Mr Minns on Wednesday defended his handling of bullying claims against his Bankstown MP.

The Labor leader has backed his MP as “very tough,” and not a bully, despite previously calling for Liberal Eleni Petinos to quit over allegations made against her.

Mr Minns has not contacted Ms Mihailuk’s three staff to ask them if they have concerns about the MP because he does not think it would be practical to do so.

“There’s three staff, they don’t share the same proximity, and therefore it’s very difficult to contact all members of staff in all sets of circumstances.”

“I don’t think people would regard it as practicable for me to contact that many staff in such a short period of time.”

Originally published as Former Mayor Steve Christou slams Labor over bullying complaints