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AAP
AAP
National
Margaret Scheikowski

Senator offered staffer sex, trial told

Wendy Leach says former senator Brian Burston sexually harassed her and another work colleague. (AAP)

One Nation senator Brian Burston offered to console a distraught staffer with the best sex of her life, his defamation trial has been told.

Wendy Leach described his offer as "just filthy", saying she previously regarded him as "an old dude from the country, like an uncle".

She also testified to being sacked after she told him he had to stop his "f****** infatuation" with her colleague Terri-lea Vairy when he asked for photos of her at a concert the women attended.

Ms Leach, 55, gave evidence in the Federal Court on Friday on behalf of Senator Pauline Hanson, who is being sued for defamation by Mr Burston.

He says the One Nation leader accused him of sexual harassment on social media, via a text message to his wife and during a television interview.

The 74-year-old denies all allegations as entirely fabricated.

Ms Leach said she was Mr Burston's office manager in 2017 when he told her he was employing his cleaner, Ms Vairy, who he said was "hot".

"She is good looking but she is as dumb as a s*** carter's horse," she said the senator told her.

He also said it had been good to get rid of another staffer as "she was ugly as a hatful of arseholes".

Ms Leach referred to an office meeting about another worker who she said was doing crazy things and harassing her.

But the senator said: "If you girls can't get on, you will have to look for another job", which Ms Leach thought was unfair as she was doing her job very well.

When she started crying, Mr Burston told her: "I am a softie for a woman in distress."

She claims he then said "you probably just need a good f***", to which she replied: "Thanks for making me laugh."

But he grabbed her by the face, said he was not joking and could come around to her place.

"No one need know, it will be the best f*** you have ever had."

Former senator Brian Burston is suing Pauline Hanson for defamation over sexual harassment claims. (AAP)

Ms Leach said despite the comment being very unwelcome, she took no action as she had just bought a house and needed her salary for the mortgage.

She said Ms Vairy told her she was "creeped" out by their boss and felt he was grooming her.

She regularly saw Mr Burston staring and gawking at Ms Vairy, kissing her, and heard him say to her: "Are they real boobs, they are the perfect size."

In October 2018, the women went to a Saturday night Tamworth concert and Mr Burston texted asking for photos.

When she sent some which didn't include Ms Vairy, he asked if she was there and when Ms Leach did not reply, he texted: "Please respond or you might both be looking for jobs on Monday".

Ms Leach said she had been drinking and "lost it", ringing her boss telling him: "I am f*****g sick of this, this f*****g infatuation, you have got to stop it now."

He told her she was disrespecting a federal senator and on Monday there was a termination letter on her desk.

She later settled her unfair dismissal complaint, receiving the maximum amount payable.

Under cross-examination from Bruce McClintock SC, she denied it was she who suggested sex to Mr Burston by saying "I need a good root".

She also denied attending the fundraising concert with Ms Vairy as representatives of senator Burston, who wanted photos of his staff for his official Facebook page.

"The whole issue of these photos was to get photos of Terri-lea," she said.

She denied falsely saying she stayed working for Mr Burston because of her financial situation.

"The reason why you stayed was because, it was only until you betrayed my client by getting drunk at the event in Tamworth, you were perfectly happy working in my client's office," he said.

"Totally incorrect, you just have to look at the medical records," she replied.

The trial before Justice Robert Bromwich continues on Tuesday.

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