The New South Wales premier, Gladys Berejiklian, says she was “absolutely shocked” after learning that a member of her government has been the subject of a six-month police investigation into rape allegations.
On Wednesday the Labor MP for the Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle, used parliamentary privilege to reveal she had been contacted by a woman who alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by an MP in Berejiklian’s government.
Police then confirmed that detectives from the child abuse and sex crimes squad were investigating allegations of sexual violence against a woman in the Blue Mountains in September 2019.
Later on Wednesday the Nationals’ Upper Hunter MP Michael Johnsen confirmed that he was the subject of the allegations, saying he would step aside from his position as a parliamentary secretary and move to the crossbench.
“I am devastated by these allegations,” Johnsen said in a statement.
“I have voluntarily spoken with NSW police and I have and will continue to fully cooperate with their inquiries,” he said. “I am confident any investigation will conclude that I am an innocent party.”
On Thursday, both Berejiklian and the Nationals party leader and deputy premier, John Barilaro, said they had not been aware of the allegations or the police investigation prior to Doyle’s speech in the parliament.
Berejiklian told reporters that it was her “expectation” that MPs would inform her if they were subject to any criminal investigation, but said she was “somewhat relieved that it’s now subject to a police investigation”.
“I joined everybody else in being absolutely shocked at the serious allegations that were raised,” Berejiklian said.
“I think all of us want to make sure that justice is served well and properly, and the alleged victim needs to be able to have a process where nothing is prejudiced.”
Barilaro also said he had not been aware Johnsen was the subject of the allegations until after Doyle’s speech in parliament. He told Sydney radio station 2GB that after the speech he had heard a “rumour” from a member of his staff that Johnsen’s name was “being put around” as the person subject to the complaint.
He said he heard the rumour at about 7pm, and called Johnsen at about 7.20pm “to ask him directly”.
“After that conversation I had a conversation with the premier [and] my leadership team … Michael then came back to parliament and he then of course issued a statement,” he said.
Barilaro said he asked Johnsen to stand aside from his position as a parliamentary secretary and move to the crossbench. He will also no longer sit in the Nationals party room or the joint Coalition party room.
“I don’t want to prejudice the case [because] this is a very serious matter and I feel for all involved [but] I don’t think I could have done anything more or sooner,” Barilaro said.
“I think for everybody involved because there is a police investigation, I believe it was necessary, for everybody, for him to stand aside.
“I had a chance to meet with him last night, he’s not in a great way absolutely not, devastated, these are serious allegations … this is an ongoing investigation [and] none of us want to be involved in impacting or giving any prejudice to this case.
“We need to get to the bottom of it, we need justice to run its course.”
Doyle had told the parliament on Wednesday that she had been contacted 18 months ago by a sex worker who said she “had recently been assaulted in my electorate” by a government MP.
She alleged the woman told her she consented only to oral sex and had been “clear with her client from the outset” and she did not consent to penetrative sex. Doyle said the woman had told her the man was offering $200 for “oral sex only” and they had met at a “secluded lookout” in the Blue Mountains.
“She tells me she made herself clear that she was not willing to have penetrative sex with him, however towards the end the man moved around behind her and assaulted her in a way she had not consented to,” Doyle told parliament.
The NSW police said in a statement on Wednesday night that the matter had been reported in September 2020.
“Detectives from the child abuse and sex crimes squad are investigating allegations of sexual violence against a woman in the Blue Mountains in September 2019,” police said.
“The matter was reported and referred to the squad in late September 2020 and has been under investigation since. As the inquiries are ongoing, we are not in a position to provide any further details.”
