Labor MP says he knew ‘by a number of weeks’ of investigation into staffing issues

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Anthony Albanese has revealed he knew about an investigation into Emma Husar’s staffing issues at least three weeks before Bill Shorten, but admitted he did not volunteer the information to the party leader.

Shorten said he first became aware of the investigation into allegations of bulling and harassment within Husar’s office last Wednesday, following a media inquiry from Buzzfeed.

Speaking from the campaign trail in Longman, Albanese told reporters he knew “at least a number of weeks ago”, when it was raised with him during conversations with other NSW Labor identities at the state party conference.

That was held on June 30 and July 1.

“I’m a member of the NSW branch, you have a state conference in NSW, you expect people to be talking,” he said.

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Asked whether he raised it with Shorten’s office, Albanese said “no”.

The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday that a senior member of the NSW right faction was sent to Husar’s office a year ago to address a high turnover of staff, with reportedly up to 20 people leaving over two years.



“… The NSW branch does their investigations – they then advise the leader,” Shorten said.

“What other gossip other people have had, that is up to them, but both the NSW branch and Anthony have both confirmed that neither have told me about the investigation.”

Shorten maintained he was unaware of any issues until last week, which Malcolm Turnbull said was an assertion he found “very hard to believe” accusing Shorten of ‘not paying attention’.

“He’s got a member of parliament over a long period of time with problems in her office, so severe that the Labor party appoints a lawyer to go and investigate,” he said.

“It is scarcely creditable that neither Bill Shorten or Tanya Plibersek knew anything about it.”

Earlier this year, Turnbull said he was unaware of his deputy prime minister’s affair with a staffer, despite staff turnover in Barnaby Joyce’s office, which included his long term chief of staff and the staffer, Vikki Campion, herself. Turnbull only took action against Joyce once the Daily Telegraph confirmed Campion’s pregnancy earlier this year.

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Labor’s final days on the byelection campaign hustings have been dogged by questions over Husar’s future.

The western Sydney MP announced she would take personal leave earlier this week, but Shorten and senior members of his backbench have been forced to address further allegations as they are raised.

The government has also done its best to flame leadership tensions between Shorten and Albanese by declaring the byelection results in Braddon and Longman to be a test of Shorten’s popularity.

Asked again about his leadership ambitions, Albanese, who has stuck to the line he is a “team player”, said he was only interested in “being a minister in a Labor government, it will be led by Bill Shorten, that’s my only priority, my only concern, and Labor’s not talking about internals”.

Asked about leadership for a fifth time in the same press conference, Albanese ruled it out.

“Well, I don’t know how many times I can say it,” he said.

“Here’s this, I’ll say it really slowly. No. There you go. There you go, in a word. It’s not hard. “