A senior government staffer is suing Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and the Federal Government for their handling of her bullying claims.
Jo Tarnawsky claims she was “exiled” from her role as Marles’ chief of staff after telling him that she was being bullied.
Tarnawsky has now brought a legal case against Marles, the Federal Government, and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Tim Gartrell.
She is not alleging Marles or Gartrell directly bullied her.
Tarnawsky
A chief of staff is the head of a member of parliament’s office. Senior government offices can have large teams made up of policy and media advisers (called ‘staffers’).
Jo Tarnawsky worked in multiple overseas Government posts – including in Italy and India – before she was hired as Marles’ chief of staff in 2012, when he was an MP in the Gillard Government.
She left Marles’ office in 2013 and returned when he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister after the 2022 election.
Bullying claims
Tarnawsky claims she was bullied by other staffers while working in the Deputy PM’s office. The staffer said she shared her concerns with Marles during a work trip to Ukraine earlier this year.
According to court documents seen by TDA, Marles then allegedly asked the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Tim Gartrell, to help him remove Tarnawsky from his office.
Within weeks, she said she was locked out of her office and received a call from Marles allegedly telling her to find “alternative employment”.
Legal case
Tarnawsky went public in October, saying: “I am the most senior female chief of staff [at Parliament] and my workplace is not safe.”
Tarnawsky has now launched legal action against the Government in the Federal Court.
The staffer said it’s been more than six months since she first told Richard Marles about the alleged bullying in his office. She also penned a letter to PM Albanese, which has gone unanswered.
“200 days is too many. I will not wait any longer,” she told reporters.
Tarnawsky‘s legal claim lists three respondents:
- Richard Marles (her former boss)
- Tim Gartrell (Albanese’s chief of staff)
- The Federal Government
She has not alleged that Marles or Gartrell directly bullied her.
The chief of staff is seeking compensation for humiliation, hurt reputation, and mental distress.
A Government spokesperson told TDA that “it would not be appropriate to comment” on the matter because it’s subject to legal proceedings.
