Labor MP says ‘enough is enough’ and she will not be seeking re-election for her western Sydney seat of Lindsay

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Emma Husar has declared “enough is enough” and says she has made “the agonising decision” to go out on her own terms, and not contest the next election.

Speaking first to Nine News, Husar said that while she did not claim to be perfect, she strongly rejected the allegations levelled at her since 19 July, when Buzzfeed revealed she had been under investigation following bullying and harassment complaints from her staff.

Husar said she would remain on the Labor backbench until the next election. Her decision comes less than 48 hours before the report into the allegations, established by NSW Labor, was due to be handed down.

Turnbull rejects Shorten's claim he was unaware of Emma Husar allegations Read more

In a statement released shortly after the Nine interview, Husar said it was a “very sad day”, but she felt she had been left with no choice.

“I kept quiet in the face of vicious and baseless smears and sensational clickbait headlines with no basis in fact. This vendetta lead to threats to my personal safety, the trolling of my children online and media parked outside my house around the clock. It has been terrifying for my kids and utterly traumatic for me,” she said in her statement.

“Once again, and for the record, I absolutely reject the malicious allegations which have been published to my great detriment.

“Given my reputation has been completely shredded by nameless, faceless people, I see no point in waiting for this report.

“This stops now. Enough is enough. I’ve spoken with Bill Shorten and let him know that I won’t be recontesting the next election.”

Husar said she would continue to fight for her community outside of politics, as well as “fight to clear my name from the unbelievable mud that’s been thrown at it”.

“In these last few difficult weeks I have been grateful for the kindness of those who know me well, my community and even complete strangers, who know that the allegations that have consumed the headlines are not a reflection of me, my character, the work I’ve done or am capable of,” she said.

In her interview with Nine, Husar said she was unsure if her reputation would recover and that she vomited when she first heard one of the allegations which related to sexually inappropriate behaviour.

Thanking leader Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek and her caucus colleagues for their support, Husar said it had been an honour to serve with them.

Following Husar’s announcement, Shorten said it had “been a very difficult period for Emma and her family”.

“I respect the decision she’s made,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Shorten maintained he had only learned of bullying and harassment allegations levelled against Husar in July, saying he did “not believe” a former staffer of Husar had been in contact with his office “for months”.



Shorten was again drawn into the storm surrounding the Lindsay MP after a former employee of Husar, Angela Hadchiti, told the Australian she was one of 22 staffers who had “been speaking to Bill Shorten’s office, to NSW Labor and to the unions for months”.

But the Labor leader said he had “made my own inquiries and none of my staff have confirmed that”.

Shorten has not wavered from the timeline, saying on several occasions he was only made aware of issues the day before Buzzfeed published its 19 July report, revealing NSW Labor had engaged a barrister in March to undertake an independent investigation into the allegations.

He also reiterated he would not “provide a running commentary about the matter until the report is concluded.”

NSW Labor rejects Emma Husar's claim bullying inquiry 'hopelessly compromised' Read more

“I think the obvious and appropriate course of action, once there’s been a complaints process initiated, is to let that conclude. That is what I am going to do,” he said. “The nub of your question is the complaints process has been undermined by a lot of people talking about it – well I am not going to make that mistake, am I? I will wait until the complaints process is concluded.”

Shorten said he would not be the “judge and jury” on the matter.

“There is a complaints process ... and that is what I am going to wait for.”

The report into the allegations, led by John Whelan, is expected to be handed down on Friday.

Labor was expected to disendorse the western Sydney MP, following weeks of sustained leaks and public accusations from Husar’s former employees.

Husar, who remains on personal leave after receiving threats, has taken to social media to deny many of the complaints, and blamed a former staffer and factional opponents within the party for the allegations.

Emma Husar MP (@emmahusarmp) 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.

In a statement to Fairfax Media published on Tuesday, Husar said she had cooperated fully with the investigation, and maintained confidentiality, but now believed it was “clear this process is now hopelessly compromised”.

“The coverage of this has been nothing short of devastating professionally and reputationally,” she told Fairfax in a written statement. “I’m not sure I will ever recover. But I am determined to clear my name.”

NSW Labor denied the investigation had been compromised from its side.

“Any breaches in confidentiality have not come from the independent assessment,” a spokesman for the party branch said on Tuesday.

Turnbull rejects Shorten's claim he was unaware of Emma Husar allegations Read more

Husar has received support from her parliamentary colleagues, who have repeatedly urged restraint while waiting for the report, and have expressed concern for her Husar and her family.

Asked about the investigation and whether public life “comes with too high a cost at times” on Adelaide radio 5AA, Anthony Albanese said he felt “for what Emma Husar is going through at the moment”.

“The intense scrutiny, the people being asked to comment, and indeed commenting, who don’t know any of the facts – I certainly don’t,” he said. “And yet when you get asked to comment on the specifics of events of which you have no information it is almost like journos think you are obfuscating if you say, for example: I haven’t met any of Emma Husar’s staff, for example, so I don’t know.

“There an investigation. Let it take its course.”

Christopher Pyne, who joins Albanese for the weekly South Australian radio chat, also sympathised over the intense scrutiny that can engulf parliamentarians.

“How everybody deals with that, each individual is different and I’ve been in parliament 25 years, Anthony about 20 years,” he said.

“We’ve both been through difficult times over that period because that is just the normal course of life. But the way to deal with that of course, I think, is to shut down the shop, focus on what matters and remember that we are doing a job and the job doesn’t define us, we define ourselves.”