Unfair dismissal hearing against Senator Jacqui Lambie continues in the Federal Court

Senator Jacqui Lambie’s ex-chief of staff tried to “blow the whistle” and “ridicule” the outspoken senator to then-PM Malcolm Turnbull. LATEST FROM COURT >>

Jacqui Lambie Portrait. Picture Gary Ramage

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SENATOR Jacqui Lambie’s former minder has told an unfair dismissal hearing he felt he had no choice but to “blow the whistle” and take his workplace concerns to then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

On Thursday, the Federal Court in Melbourne heard Rob Messenger sent his Public Interest Disclosure to Mr Turnbull the Senate President and the Attorney-General in March, 2017.

The court heard it was sent soon after Mr Messenger helped a junior employee in his office write up a statutory declaration outlining serious allegations against Senator Lambie including that she was “unstable.”

Senator Jacqui Lambie in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

He attached that statutory declaration to his letter.

“Where was your statutory declaration?” he was asked by Ms Lambie’s lawyer Nick Harrington.

Mr Messenger replied that he had “gone one better” and contacted the Prime Minister. “You can’t get any higher,” he said.

The former staffer also told Commonwealth lawyer Jenny Firkin he considered Mr Turnbull to be his internal supervisor.

Ms Firkin suggested Mr Messenger had ignored proper workplace complaint reporting processes and had done so to discredit and embarrass his boss.

“You knew these allegations would damage her reputation and likely influence her future career as a politician.”

In his PID letter to Canberra, Mr Messenger accused Senator Lambie of corruption, misconduct in her public office and bullying.

“You were bringing your work relationship with Senator Lambie to a point of destruction weren’t you?,” Mr Harrington said.

Mr Messenger replied that things had reached a crisis point.

A return letter from Canberra instructed Mr Messenger to report workplace bullying to another office rather than copying the Prime Minister in on all his correspondence.

Supplied image of former Lambie staffers, Rob and Fern Messenger.

“The PM’s office was not inviting you to keep him in the loop were they?,’ Mr Harrington asked.

“You did so to try to embarrass the Senator.”

Mr Harrington accused Mr Messenger of having contempt for his boss – reading to the court an email in which he “ridiculed” Senator Lambie for her “cringe-worthy mispronunciation” of words.

“Your opinion was poisoned by the contempt you had for her,” Mr Harrington asserted.

“No, I felt sorry for her, she was battling some major demons,” Mr Messenger replied.

Six hours after Mr Messenger sent his PID to Canberra, Senator Lambie emailed Mr Messenger saying there had been a breakdown in employer-employee trust.

Mr Messenger and his wife Fern, who was working as office manager, were terminated from their employment with Senator Lambie’s office in May, 2017.