Jo Tarnawsky: Richard Marles’ chief of staff launches legal action over claims she was bullied out of job

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles’ chief of staff has launched legal action against her boss, the Government and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff over claims she was shunted from the office after raising a bullying complaint.

Jo Tarnawsky has now launched legal action in the Federal Court for “adverse actions” against her over her claims she was bullied by staff members who worked under her, and that when she complained to Mr Marles she was locked out of the office and prevented from doing her job.

Speaking from Parliament House on Monday, Ms Tarnawsky said after “untenable delays in action from the Government”, the claim was being brought against the Government, Mr Marles and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Tim Gartrell.

She said she had made the decision because there had been “no investigation into the behaviours I reported, nor regarding the actions taken by the deputy prime minister against me” in the last six weeks.

“Three weeks ago, I wrote a letter to the prime minister, asking him to intervene and to hold the deputy prime minister to account for the way that I had been treated. The prime minister has not responded,” she said.

“Instead, my complaint has been passed around, first the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, more recently to Comcover, both claim to be independent agencies but both chose to engage lawyers, the same lawyers from the same law firm who were also clearly taking instructions from the deputy prime minister.

“They have not been able to assure me that my private information or psychological safety will be protected and they cannot deal with the most important issue I have raised. That is for those who did this to me, to be held accountable and to ensure that nobody else in this place is ever treated this way again.”

She said her case showed parliamentary workplace reforms were simple “window dressing”.

“The Government is now testing in real time exactly what you can still get away with,” she said.

“But if the Government won’t hold its own poor behaviour to account, then I will ask the court to do that.”

She said staffers give “countless hours of our lives” to support the ministers, senators and MPs they work for.

“In return, we should not be tossed aside abruptly after sch loyal service... It should not be unreasonable for any of us to expect to depart our roles with dignity, to walk away better from our time working in this building rather than carrying lifelong trauma from the poor treatment we have endured here.”

Ms Tarnawsky, who still remains employed under Mr Marles, claims she has been locked out of the office and prevented from doing her job since May.

Mr Marles is not accused of bullying Ms Tarnawsky but is instead accused of shunting her earlier this year despite never raising issues with her performance.

Mr Marles’ office has been contacted for comment.