Woman still ‘disgusted’ over ‘vile and graphic’ text sent by former Labor candidate for Clark Ben McGregor

The mother-of-two on the receiving end of a “vile and graphic” image from former Labor candidate Ben McGregor has spoken of her “disgust and anger” about the incident and has thrown her support behind Rebecca White’s handling of the fallout.

THE woman at the centre of a bitter split between Labor’s senior leaders says she is still disgusted and upset at the “vile and graphic” image she was sent.

State president Ben McGregor stood down as a Labor candidate for Clark last Wednesday after leader Rebecca White confronted him about the image and a text message using the word c....

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The woman, a public servant, provided a statutory declaration to Labor Party secretary Stuart Benson a week before Mr McGregor fronted the media to announce he was stepping down.

In the statutory declaration, seen by the Sunday Tasmanian, she said that while on leave Mr McGregor sent her “inappropriate” text messages six years ago asking her to join him and others at a hotel for drinks.

“When I declined, also pointing out that I was at home with a young baby, he sent me a vile and graphic image of a penis with testes also evident,” she said. The image sent by text, seen by the Sunday Tasmanian, was not of Mr McGregor’s penis.

“I also received a text from him where he called me a c…, continuing to tell me to join him at the pub for drinks.

“I expressed my disgust and anger about this to him via text, and later in person when I returned to work.”

Mr McGregor says he apologised several times for the image and text.

ALP state president Ben McGregor has been forced to quit as a candidate for Clark over the text message scandal.

The woman told others about what had happened.

“I was extremely distressed and upset about this incident,” she said.

“I remain upset and disgusted about this, especially given Ben’s increasing public profile.”

The woman she said had decided to speak out publicly to support the actions of Ms White.

“I didn’t know Bec White before I met her to talk about this, but I am really proud of how she has handled it,” she said.

“I am concerned about how this is affecting her reputation.

“She, above everybody else, has shown herself to be a person of great integrity and has been an enormous support to me, especially since my complaint has been made public.

“It has chewed away at me for years.

“The media coverage recently has triggered this again.

“It is important that women speak up about how they have been treated.”

The mother-of-two did not want to be identified because of the likely impact on her children at school.

She has kept the text messages and will produce them in court if necessary.

Mr McGregor is taking action for defamation against Ms White and he told the Mercury earlier this week that his dumping as a candidate was motivated by factional infighting in the Labor party.

Labor leader Rebecca White is facing defamation action over statements she made after Ben McGregor was forced to quit as a Labor candidate. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Ms White was not backing down yesterday.

“I’ve made it very clear as leader that people seeking public office should uphold the highest standards,” Ms White said.

“Most Tasmanians couldn’t care less about what’s happening in party machinations, they care about the government improving health services.”

Premier Peter Gutwein said it was an “extraordinary situation” that Mr McGregor was taking action against Ms White.

“That is just the most extraordinary circumstances that I have ever seen,” he said.

“And quite clearly what it demonstrates is that the civil war is alive and well within Labor and is bubbling out onto the streets.

“When it takes up to 10 days to determine who you even want on your team and then you’ve got people on your team that don’t support your policies. And now when you’re being sued by the leader of your own state party, (it) raises significant question marks about your leadership ability.”

The spiteful campaign has also included a spat between Labor MHA for Lyons Jen Butler and Police Minister Mark Shelton.

Ms Butler said Mr Shelton needed to say when he received information about an alleged firearms incident involving Braddon candidate and former Liberal minister Adam Brooks.

Mr Shelton accused Ms Butler of grubby politics.