Greens Party upheld staffer complaints against SA MP Tammy Franks

Warring staffers’ complaints about Greens stalwart Tammy Franks were upheld by the party, it’s been revealed.

Tammy Franks has resigned from the Greens at Parliament House. Picture: Keryn Stevens

A leaked document shows bombshell complaints about former SA Greens co-leader Tammy Franks ranging from “bullying” to “offensive, intimidatory behaviour” were upheld by the party’s misconduct committee.

Ms Franks, who dramatically resigned from the Greens on Tuesday, was investigated by the party’s independent committee over five months after numerous grievances were lodged by warring staff members. Ms Franks has denied all allegations.

Tammy Franks has resigned from the Greens at Parliament House. Picture: Keryn Stevens

The determination on January 5 said Ms Franks would no longer “have voting rights in the SA Greens Party” and could not attend branch meetings “until she is no longer a member of the Legislative Council” in SA. The SA Greens misconduct committee found “on the balance of probabilities” that Ms Franks’ misconduct included “offensive, intimidatory behaviour”, breaching a candidate agreement and “intentionally and unfairly discriminating against another member”.

Ms Franks, 56, disputed the findings after throwing a grenade into party ranks when she resigned to become an independent on Tuesday.

“I intend taking court action against the party … for unfair and oppressive conduct,” Ms Franks said.

One complainant, according to the internal document, accused Ms Franks of making “disparaging comments” about her disability.

The MP allegedly said, “I guess she can walk now after all”, when the complainant walked a short distance from Ms Frank’soffice.

The complainant also claimed Ms Franks was “interrogating” her about an injury in front of other staff, and “pressuring” her to “disclose her private medical details in public”.

“In the interests of protecting the party and ensuring that members are not further intimidated, and as an expression of the party’s disapproval of the respondent’s behaviour as unacceptable under its principles, we have imposed the penalties described above,” the report found.

Ms Franks said complainants included SA Greens co-leader Robert Simms’ staffer Sean Cullen-MacAskill and former staff in her office.

Mr Cullen-MacAskill declined to comment.

SA Greens leader Robert Simms speaks to media. NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Among the complaints upheld by the committee was a claim that Ms Franks “belittled and criticised” the work of election staff, that she “swore and raised her voice angrily” and a staff member in 2022 “experienced bullying”.

There was also a claim that Ms Franks used voice-to-text messages, making it difficult for staff to interpret her requests, and she would “become angry when clarity was requested”.

Ms Franks confirmed further complaints about her conduct were lodged with the Treasury and Finance Department’s electorate services last year and a mediator was called in to work in her office.

“I engaged the services of a professional performance manager to help with mediation. I was fearful of being in my office with a staff member,” she claimed.

“It has been a difficult and challenging time.”

The long-term Greens MP has served the party in the upper house for 15 years.

A Greens SA statement released on Wednesday said: “Ms Franks’ decision to publicly criticise the complainants is deeply regretful and inappropriate.”

Ms Franks claimed current staff members in her office have lodged counter-complaints with the Greens party about the way she has been treated.

“I make a wry observation that it is technically misconduct for a Greens Party member to leak such a confidential document and I hope any investigation into that will be undertaken by a proper and lawful process,” she said.

Former SA Greens co-leader Tammy Franks is now an Independent. Picture: Supplied

“Now I am free of such obligations I will be making an application to the courts regarding this oppressive and unreasonable conduct.”

While it is understood some of her staff members left the office last year, Ms Franks said current staff included Greens Boothby candidate in the federal election Joanna Wells and Adelaide City councillor Kieran Snape, employed part-time.

Greens leader Robert Simms said it had been “a challenging 24 hours” following Ms Franks’ surprise resignation announcement.

He had hoped to be capitalising on a federal election swing to his party in electorates including Boothby and Spence, in the northern suburbs, rather than dealing with the resignation fallout.

Mr Simms had no role in the complaints process and did not want to comment further than saying he “would have preferred Tammyto stay with the party” and that as a party member for nearly 20 years, he had seen it go “through ups and downs”.

Ms Franks did not stand for preselection for the Greens last year and Adelaide Hills deputy mayor Melanie Selwood was picked as number one candidate on the upper house ticket.

At the time, Ms Franks said she would retire but on Tuesday announced “all options are open”.

She said leaving the party “whose charter I have fought for, nurtured, supported and been loyal to for decades” was made with “immense sadness”.

Originally published as Greens Party upheld staffer complaints against SA MP Tammy Franks