Greens senator Dorinda Cox says she takes “responsibility for any shortcomings” as an employer and has apologised for “the distress this may have caused” but said there has been “significant missing context” in the reports of bullying allegations within her office.
Cox, a Noongar Yamatji woman, is the first Indigenous woman to represent Western Australia in the upper house.
Nine newspapers reported claims that at least 20 staff had left Cox’s office since she entered the Senate in 2021 as the replacement for outgoing Greens senator Rachel Siewert.
In a statement to Guardian Australia, Cox said there were “parts of the reporting that reflect staff grievances that were not presented to me, or that were assessed and not progressed by the independent Parliamentary Workplace Support Service”.
“Politics is a challenging and high pressure environment, especially as a First Nations Woman with five Federal portfolios and competing priorities, including Australia’s largest geographical electorate,” she said.
“There have been many challenges during my first three years in office including the covid epidemic, taking on the First Nations portfolio alongside the Voice Referendum and leading many significant Committee inquiries.
“All whilst establishing and recruiting two office based teams to secure my six year term with the ambition of an effective, safe and supportive work environment.
“As the employer, I take responsibility for any shortcomings in what has occurred during this period and I apologise for the distress this may have caused.”
Cox said she had an “immense amount of respect and gratitude to my team who prepare and support me for the work I undertake” and that she had “always taken a proactive approach to staff wellbeing, including my own” and had undertaken executive coaching and mentoring from former MPs.
Cox said she had, on two occasions, commissioned independent cultural diagnostic health checks on her office.
“On any occasion where issues were raised with me, my team and myself proactively worked with [the independent parliament workplace support service] and continue to do so, to implement and maintain a continuous improvement plan for team culture, management and wellbeing,” she said.
“In my role as a leader within my office and community I have received consistent and overwhelming support for the work I have undertaken and continue to provide in my role as the first ever First Nations female Senator for WA.
“I am fully aware of and take seriously the responsibilities that come with this achievement,” she said.
Cox said she had ongoing engagement with the processes of the independent workplace body and staff “to track our progress and achievements for a safe and supportive workplace”.
“I have also received consistent encouragement from the Greens Leader to engage with PWSS, as well as my other MP and Senate colleagues,” Cox said.
Adam Bandt said the Greens took allegations of bullying and harassment seriously, but believed it best to have them independently investigated.
“The PWSS was established to ensure all staff in parliament had an independent body that would look at any issues they raised about their workplace,” Bandt said.
“A key aspect of this important reform was that it would help avoid any issues being ‘politically managed’ and a party putting their own interests ahead of staff’s wellbeing.”
Bandt said his own staff encouraged staff members who raised concerns to contact the independent parliament body given it had “legal powers and responsibility to deal with complaints about MPs and their offices”.
He said Cox had advised him herself she had “sought the assistance of the PWSS regarding matters within her office, as well as the support of an executive coach”.
Sources within the Greens say the issues arose during a fraught environment at times exacerbated by the voice referendum.
Conflict between Greens MPs who supported the voice and the party’s First Nations advisory group which did not – also known as the Blak Greens – created a split in the party which sources say is yet to be fully resolved.
