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AAP
AAP
Politics
Emily Woods

Claims Tas Labor leak for political gain

Ben McGregor accused senior Labor members of failing to follow their own processes. (AAP)

Tasmanian Labor's former branch president has accused senior party members of leaking text messages he sent to a female colleague for their own political gain, after being cleared of sexual harassment.

Ben McGregor, who pulled out as a state election candidate in 2021 following allegations over texts sent seven years ago, was sacked by Labor's national executive in October last year.

He has maintained that party inquiries into the allegations have cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Last year state secretary Stuart Benson said the complaint did not fall within the party's policy and the complainant didn't want to proceed.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Mr McGregor said he has since been cleared of any sexual harassment by the Federal Court and the woman at the centre of the claims had apologised to him and his family.

He accused senior Labor members of failing to follow their own processes, betraying the confidence of the complainant and deliberately leaking the complaint "for selfish political gain".

The woman, who made the complaint during the April 2021 state election, confirmed the ex-branch president had never sexually harassed her in a statement supplied to Mr McGregor, which he made public on Tuesday.

"At no point in time has Mr McGregor sexually harassed me. At the time of the incident, he was a friend, and he apologised for the texts he sent and their attachments, which I acknowledged and accepted," she said.

She said she had spoken to senior Tasmanian Labor Party members after sending a statutory declaration to Mr Benson regarding the complaint.

"I considered these conversations and the statutory declaration as confidential. I was disappointed and surprised that the details of my complaint were shared, against my understanding, with the broader community and media," she said.

"It is clear that some of those involved in the Labor Party have benefited from these statements, not me."

Mr McGregor called for Labor to conduct an independent investigation into the leaking of the complaint and for the person who leaked it to come forward and apologise.

"I am left feeling betrayed by the party I have given many years of service to, I have been let down by senior members of the party who, for their own political motives, allowed this to happen," he said.

AAP has contacted Tasmanian Labor and the national branch for comment.

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