The New South Wales opposition leader, Mark Speakman, says he will not make a call on upper house MP Taylor Martin’s future with the Liberal party until an investigation into allegations that he sent abusive and demeaning texts is complete.
Former federal MP Lucy Wicks has lodged a formal complaint with the party about messages allegedly sent to her from Martin. A barrister has been appointed to investigate the claims.
Parts of her allegations were leaked to the media over the weekend and copies of some of the texts have since been published.
Martin identified himself as being the subject of the complaint, before 2GB host Ben Fordham on Monday named Wicks, the former member for Robertson, as the complainant.
Martin has said he is cooperating with the investigation.
On Tuesday Speakman described the matter as “serious” and “significant”, but said he would not be drawn on Martin’s future with the party until the investigation was complete.
“I don’t want to do anything that could possibly compromise the integrity of that process, the fairness of that process or the confidentiality that remains around that process,” the opposition leader said.
Speakman said the party received Wicks’s formal complaint about 10 days ago and appointed the barrister to lead the investigation on Friday, the same day that Martin agreed to stand aside from the party room.
“It’s important that the process continue as expeditiously as it can,” he said.
Speakman said he had tried to respect Wicks’s wish to keep her complaint confidential, adding that: “As a general proposition, when a complainant requests confidentiality and privacy, all of us should respect that request.”
The premier, Chris Minns, said the “highest behaviour” should be demanded of members of parliament.
“It’s important that if we’re going to set the rules for the state and the laws of the land that we need to make sure that we’ve got strict rules in place for parliament,” he told ABC radio.
Wicks has criticised 2GB for naming her as the Liberal figure behind the formal complaint against Martin of “demeaning, degrading, and abusive texts” she claimed were sent over five years.
She released a statement on social media on Monday asking for privacy, saying she was “distressed” after being named.
“My complaint to the Liberal party was in relation to serious concerns including behaviour in the workplace, in the party and in political interactions,” she said.
She said she had “sought to create a confidential process that would enable natural justice”.
Martin responded to the situation on Monday, saying he was “confident that the truth will come out”, through the investigation launched by the Liberal party.
He has apologised for what he called “heated words” during an “ugly and undignified” breakup.
“There were heated words during my attempts to go separate ways that I sincerely regret. It was an ugly and undignified parting of ways,” he said on Sunday.
Martin has been a member of the NSW upper house since 2017 and will not sit in the party room while the claims are investigated.
The claims are now being interrogated though an “independent process” initiated by the party.
“At all times, the party has respected the agency and wishes of the person who has come forward, to treat the matter confidentially,” a party spokesperson said.
“Public commentary on this investigation could deny procedural fairness to those involved in this process.”
2GB has declined to comment.
