Lidia Thorpe has urged Anthony Albanese to “do his homework” on bullying allegations against Greens turned Labor senator Dorinda Cox, claiming the prime minister was “wrong” to publicly declare the matters had been dealt with.
The independent Victorian senator – previously a member of the Greens – revealed on Wednesday she had formally filed a bullying complaint against Cox in March 2023, months after she first notified the then Greens leader, Adam Bandt.
Cox was the subject of a number of workplace behaviour complaints with 20 staff having left in just three years, as first reported by the Nine newspapers in October 2024.
Earlier this week, Albanese said formal complaints lodged to the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) against Cox had been “dealt with appropriately” as he announced her defection to Labor from the Greens.
When asked by media on Thursday why he would welcome Cox into his party despite the allegations against her, he reiterated that they were “dealt with”.
However, Thorpe told Guardian Australia her complaint against Cox had stalled and was “never resolved” after Cox declined to attend a mediation session the PWSS offered in early 2023.
On Thursday, Thorpe told the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program she made her complaint public because the prime minister had claimed the issues had been resolved.
“[Albanese] should have done his homework before he opened his mouth because there is still an ongoing issue with bullying in the workplace and there is a lot of work to do, and Labor needs to take that seriously,” she said.
“If the prime minister does not even know that there is a problem then there is a lot of work to do on their end.”
Thorpe added “you cannot force people to mediate” but she remained open to a “conversation and conciliation” with Cox.
Guardian Australia has contacted the prime minister’s office for a response. Cox’s office did not respond to questions on Wednesday.
In October last year, Cox apologised for “the distress this may have caused” but said there had been “significant missing context” in the reports of bullying allegations within her office.
The WA Greens launched an investigation into grievances against Cox in mid-January but confirmed it would no longer proceed after the senator switched political parties.
Thorpe said on Wednesday the PWSS had limited powers and the process had been “far from satisfactory” and referring the matter to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission (IPSC) would require “jumping through more hoops with no real guarantee of an outcome”.
“Parliament should be setting the standard for the rest of the country,” she said. “We need a safe, accountable workplace, especially if we want to see more young people, First Peoples and people of colour stepping into politics.”
The PWSS was set up as an interim body before being made permanent in late 2023 and functions as a HR body for parliamentarians, their staffers and others working in the building.
The IPSC was established in September 2024 and has the power to investigate complaints and sanction those working within Parliament House.
A spokesperson for the PWSS said people could not be forced to attend mediation but that complainants could use other avenues, such as referring issues to the newly established IPSC.
“Mediation is one of the local resolution processes that the PWSS can facilitate to resolve a complaint. Mediation is a voluntary process and parties cannot be compelled by the PWSS to participate,” they said.
The spokesperson confirmed complainants are “advised when the matter is closed”.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the “honourable thing” would be for Cox to resign from the parliament for defecting to Labor.
“It’s not fair to the voters and indeed any of the parties involved that if somebody is elected as one party and then jumps ship later on,” she said in Canberra on Thursday morning.
“I do think the honourable thing is to resign from the parliament. But, you know, that’s not the rules and we’re left where we are.”
Do you know more? Email sbasfordcanales@protonmail.com
