Junk Explained: Here’s Why A Labor Rising Star Might Not Make It To The Next Election
"On three occasions you spread your legs, revealing that you were not wearing any underwear," one allegation reads.
You may have seen a few stories swirling around over the last week about Labor MP Emma Husar being accused of bullying staff and misusing taxpayer funds. Here’s everything you need to know.
It all started when BuzzFeed reported that Husar was under investigation by her own party over the aforementioned bullying allegations, including suggestions that she’d treated taxpayer-funded staff as “slaves” and had them perform personal errands on her behalf. Labor has commissioned an independent report on the allegations, and that report is expected to be completed next week.
Since the news broke, Husar has faced almost-daily stories of wrongdoing, including verbally abusing staff, forcing them to perform menial tasks (like picking up her dog’s shit), sexual harassment and misuse of taxpayer funds.
One of the biggest allegations, revealed by BuzzFeed yesterday, related to questions Husar has been asked by barrister John Whelan, who is leading the investigation. It’s been alleged that Husar turned up to fellow MP Jason Clare’s office in Parliament House on 19 June last year.
The questions put to Husar suggest that Clare was playing on the floor with his young son, and at least one other staffer was in the room. In a letter to Husar, via a lawyer, this is what one of those staffers claimed: “on three occasions you spread your legs, revealing that you were not wearing any underwear.” The staffer “felt that your conduct was deliberate, proactive and targeted towards Mr Clare”.
Husar and Clare have both categorically denied the claims.
Yes, a federal politician is being accused of sexual harassment. And that’s not the half of it: there’s a massive internal Labor investigation underway, and the outcome will likely determine Husar’s fate.
So What Are The Allegations?
1. Husar allegedly asked her staff to do household chores
More than 20 witnesses have been interviewed as part of Labor’s internal investigation. As part of the more than 200,000 words of evidence, there are claims that Husar instructed her staff to walk her dogs, and complete household chores. Husar currently has one staff member live at home with her.
2. Husar allegedly verbally abused her staff
Another claim is that Husar called her staff “fuckwits” and “cunts” at least once. As part of the investigation, witnesses said working for Husar was “hell”, and that “people are just afraid to go into work.”
3. Husar allegedly sexually harassed staff
Yes, there are claims that Husar revealed herself to fellow Labor MP Jason Clare. More than that, a May 16 letter from lawyer John Whelan, as reported by BuzzFeed, suggests variously that Husar asked staff to zip up her dress, bought staff topless firefighter calendars, and rubbed her breast against a staff member’s shoulder and arm for 10-15 seconds.
She’s been accused of skipping out on parliamentary duties to go get a spray tan, too.
4. Husar allegedly took Labor cash and put it in her own account
The lawyer’s letter says there was “money intended for other uses diverted into [Husar’s] personal bank account.” Not much more is known about that particular allegations at the moment.
5. Husar allegedly used taxpayer money to go see a concert
This week, News Corp published photos of Husar and a friend at a Bruno Mars concert in Brisbane. The claim is that Husar used taxpayer funds to head up to Brisbane. Husar says the spending was within the rules because she had public hearings and meetings on either side of the evening she attended the concert.
What Has Husar Said About The Allegations?
When some of those allegations were first aired two weeks ago, this is what Husar had to say:
“The assertions that have been made do not reflect who I am or how my office operates.”
And on Thursday — once the more severe claims of sexual harassment and a misuse of party funds had broken — Husar tweeted out a message in defence.
This smear is completely and utterly untrue, unfair and hurtful beyond belief. 100 per cent false.
These are absolute lies that have been fabricated by Jeremy Anderson, who’s working with his father to leak against me and ruin my reputation.
— Emma Husar MP (@emmahusarmp) August 2, 2018
I have done my best to cooperate with the investigation and clear my name, but it’s clear these people will stop at nothing to destroy me.
— Emma Husar MP (@emmahusarmp) August 2, 2018
Clare called the allegation of sexual harassment within his own office “categorically untrue.”
Husar responded separately to claims that she spent taxpayer money to see a concert, saying:
To be abundantly clear, no work expenses were used to attend a concert.
Was in Cairns on 14 March to attend a day-long committee hearing on the NDIS. On 15 March, I had two meetings in Brisbane with two organisations to discuss domestic violence policy issues.— Emma Husar MP (@emmahusarmp) August 1, 2018
2/2 The concert tickets were a birthday present from a friend. Confident I’ve always acted within the rules but have asked IPEA to double-check and review as I take the use of taxpayers’ money extremely seriously.
— Emma Husar MP (@emmahusarmp) August 1, 2018
The Daily Telegraph reports today that one of the meetings in Brisbane that Husar attended on the same trip as the Bruno Mars concert was only arranged the day before it occurred.
What’s The Labor Party Gonna Do?
On Tuesday, Labor party leader Bill Shorten seemed to suggest that he wouldn’t let the internal investigation’s findings be known to the public.
“It hasn’t been concluded. I don’t know if any of the complainants or any of the concerns that have been raised have done so on the basis of confidentiality,” he told ABC radio. “I’m going to wait until I see the report.”
When pressed, Shorten said: “I don’t know if some of the basis of the report’s been confidential. There’ll be protocols in place. What we need to do is respect the interests of all the people involved.”
Until a few weeks ago, Husar was considered a rising star within the party, but her reputation in tatters now. BuzzFeed has reported that Husar will likely not seek re-election in her seat of Lindsay, which she won off the LNP in the 2016 federal election. She currently sits on a tiny 1.1 percent margin.
The Australian reports that senior Labor figures are strongly considering disendorsing her from the seat. We’ll probably know more about her future by the end of next week.