NSW Greens MP throws last punch in speech

A NSW Greens MP has had her valedictory speech crashed by protesters from a different faction of her party.

A Greens MP has thrown one last punch at those within her party in a valedictory speech to NSW parliament, which was crashed by vocal protesters.

Upper House Greens MP Dawn Walker on Wednesday evening took aim at the Left Renewal branch of her party, which she described as an "anarchist faction".

Ms Walker said she had been harassed, bullied and threatened by members of her party.

"The organisation itself clearly needs to do some serious soul-searching," she told parliament.

"The NSW branch of the party i represented has at times been a terrible disappointment."

She defended her colleague Jeremy Buckingham, who has been the subject of allegations made under parliamentary privilege by factional rival Jenny Leong.

Last week Ms Leong re-aired allegations of a 2011 sexual harassment against Mr Buckingham, and called on him to resign.

Ms Walker said Ms Leong's use of parliamentary privilege to target another member of the party had damaged the public trust in the organisation and was "perhaps irrevocable".

Ms Walker's speech was then interrupted by a small group of protesters chanting "yes means yes, no means no, Buckingham has got to go," before they were escorted from the chamber.

Ms Leong's use of parliamentary privilege has been criticised by some of her factional rivals, who accused her of using an alleged sexual harassment as a political weapon.

Mr Buckingham has refused to resign and will recontest the next state election on the upper house ticket.

He denies the alleged 2011 incident involving a party staffer and has pointed to an independent investigation that recommended no adverse findings against him.


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Source: AAP


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NSW Greens MP throws last punch in speech | SBS News