The Labor MP Emma Husar has opened up about her decision to leave federal parliament, saying her political career was brought to an end by gutter journalism that “slut shamed” her.
In an interview with the ABC’s 7.30 program on Tuesday night, Husar said her political career could not survive the smear that she had pulled a “Sharon Stone” move in the office of the Labor MP Jason Clare.
She said the allegation that she had exposed herself – as the actor’s character did in the 1992 thriller Basic Instinct – was “utter garbage”, it had been denied on the record by Clare and by herself, and the person who had made the allegation wasn’t even in Canberra on the day he alleged it took place, but she wouldn’t be able to escape the story.
“I don't know that anybody will ever look at me like, ‘Oh, that's that woman,’ or, you know, that I will be allowed to forget it by natural enemies,” she said.
Husar has strongly rejected allegations levelled at her since 19 July when BuzzFeed revealed she was under investigation by New South Wales Labor after bullying and harassment complaints from her staff.
The story made her a subject of intense media interest and it eventually forced her to announce she would not recontest her seat of Lindsay, and would serve out her remaining time on the Labor backbench.
But on 10 August, just says after she announced her decision to quit parliament, NSW Labor said the independent investigation had found no need for her to resign, concluding that the allegations of lewd conduct and sexual harassment were not supported.
“It’s utter garbage,” Husar said on Tuesday. “You’ve had both me and Jason on the record saying it didn't happen.
“The complainant … wasn't even in Canberra on the day that he alleges that it actually took place.
“The most damaging part for that is, that's actually what brought my career in politics to an end, was being slut shamed so viciously, with no ability to come back and stand up for myself.
“It’s just gutter journalism and essentially that’s what ended my career, and made up my decision to announce that I wasn't going to recontest.
“I am in a marginal seat. It’s a hard seat to win. It is a hard seat to run in. I absolutely love my job as an MP and my community has been incredibly supportive over this time. But I think that people would use that against me forever.
“I had a journalist run across my front lawn with a microphone in his hand throughout this process – ‘Is it your Basic Instinct to pull the Sharon Stone?’
“It was just so grotty and just so smutty that all I could think of was, ‘God, I'm so glad my kids aren't here to see this.’”
Husar acknowledged that the independent report did find that allegations she had misused public entitlements should be referred to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority – but she had already sent all her documents there.
“I have referred all of my travel and all of my expenses to IPEA,” she said. “They are doing an audit of the last two years of everything that I have either been reimbursed for or claimed as travel expenses.
“They say that is going to take up to eight weeks. I have released all of my electronic diary to them to ratify the expenses and also where I was and what I was doing and who I was doing it with.
“I take the use of taxpayers' money incredibly seriously. When I've had to take flights, I have used economy class. You know, technically I have the right to fly business class, but I don't see that's, you know, a really responsible use. I drive my car to and from Canberra.”
Husar also acknowledged that the investigation had found complaints that staff were made to perform non work-related and personal duties for her did have merit.
But she said the reporting of unsubstantiated – and later disproven – allegations of lewd behaviour in her office were the claims that ruined her career.
