New South Wales Labor frontbencher Walt Secord is stepping down from the shadow ministry after being accused of bullying, as fresh complaints against him emerged.
Mr Secord — who held several shadow portfolios — said he had decided to stand aside after the release of a report by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick that uncovered a "toxic" culture of bullying and sexual harassment in the New South Wales parliament.
"I fully support the Broderick review and the change it will hopefully lead to. But my remaining in the shadow ministry at this time has become a distraction from these major revelations and the important work that needs to be done," he said in a statement..
Labor Leader Chris Minns revealed that he had received a number of complaints about Mr Secord's behaviour over the weekend.
"It became clear over the weekend that many colleagues had concerns about Mr Secord's behaviour," he said.
"I went to Mr Secord and immediately he told me he'd want to stand down from the New South Wales frontbench to allow an independent review and investigation to take place."
Mr Minns said the complaints had been made to him directly but he declined to reveal the nature of the allegations.
"In each case and every case, those people have asked that it remain anonymous and the circumstances relating to it remain confidential," he said.
Mr Secord is the first New South Wales politician to step down following the Broderick review, which exposed a "toxic" culture of systemic bullying and widespread sexism in state parliament.
On Friday, Mr Secord apologised for his conduct in office after an ABC investigation uncovered allegations against him by several people.
He acknowledged he could be "too blunt and too direct" in the high-pressure environment.
"If any parliamentary staff members feel that my conduct in the workplace was unprofessional and caused offence or distress and was unacceptable, I unreservedly apologise," he said.
The senior Labor figure said he wanted to be part of "repairing the culture in state parliament, and addressing my behaviour as part of that".
Having spent more than 30 years in the Labor Party, the prominent Labor frontbencher was serving as the opposition spokesman for police, counter terrorism, arts and heritage, and the north coast.
Last week, Premier Dominic Perrottet said the findings were "sobering, confronting and unacceptable".
"If parliamentarians cannot lead and provide an environment where the workplace is safe, what hope do we have for other workplaces across our great state?"
