Joyce sex harassment accuser slams delay

Catherine Marriott, who accused Barnaby Joyce of sexual harassment, is extremely frustrated by how long the Nationals' investigation is taking.

The woman who made a sexual harassment complaint about Barnaby Joyce has called for the investigation's findings to be released, saying she's "extremely frustrated" by the delay.

Former West Australian rural woman of the year Catherine Marriott in February made a formal complaint to the Nationals' federal executive about the party's then federal leader.

Ms Marriott's lawyer Emma Salerno says her client wants closure after enduring national scrutiny over an issue she wanted kept confidential.

"After more than five months of cooperation and respectfully waiting on the outcome of the investigation, we are now extremely frustrated by the National Party's ability to deal with this issue in a timely manner," Ms Salerno said in a statement.

"We call on the National Party to not only release the findings of their investigation as a priority, but also their sexual harassment policy as a minimum to protect women, such as Catherine, who make allegations of sexual harassment."

The sexual harassment complaint became public amid a political storm engulfing Mr Joyce which was sparked by his affair with former staffer Vikki Campion.

At the time, Mr Joyce conceded the sexual misconduct allegation was the final straw causing him to resign as deputy prime minister.

Ms Salerno said Ms Marriott requested the Nationals conduct a formal and confidential investigation to prevent inappropriate behaviour towards women in the future.

"In this time Catherine has assisted the National Party's inquiry into her allegations and on several occasions, at her personal expense, met with the National Party executive to contribute towards the development of a sexual harassment and discrimination policy," Ms Salerno said.


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world