A staffer in former Labor frontbencher Jayne Stinson’s electorate office raised “some concerns about her treatment” and had to be moved to another MP’s office, Treasurer Rob Lucas says.
Key points:
- Ms Stinson resigned citing personal issues during discussion of staff movements
- The employee has been assigned to Labor MP Tom Koutsantonis’s office
- Treasurer Rob Lucas said there has been “some turnover” in Ms Stinson’s office
Ms Stinson resigned from Labor’s front bench, citing a traumatic personal issue, during a discussion with Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas about the employee’s movement last Friday.
Mr Lucas said over the past three years staff in Ms Stinson’s office have flagged “a number of issues” with the Electorate Services section of the Department of Treasury and Finance.
“These staff have subsequently left, which has resulted in some turnover in Ms Stinson’s office,” he said.
Mr Lucas said the “most recent” departure was a trainee from Mr Stinson’s Badcoe electorate office in Plympton.
“I have also been advised that the employee did raise some concerns about her treatment in the Member’s office but, at this stage, I don’t propose to ventilate publicly the details of these concerns out of respect to the employee involved,” he said.
Mr Lucas said the trainee was assigned to Labor MP Tom Koutsantonis’s office.
“With trainees if they don’t complete their training they don’t get their certificate and that makes their future employment prospects difficult so it was essential to try and find an accommodation where we could allow the trainee to complete her training,” Mr Lucas said.
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Mr Lucas said there may be “perfectly logical reasons” for the turnover of staff but also said having three or four staff members leaving was “unusual” in his experience.
“It is inevitable in all MP’s offices — Labor, Liberal and independent — that there is an occasional mismatch of personalities, a difference of opinion,” he said.
“There are isolated examples where I am sure you could find that right across the political spectrum.
“But it certainly wouldn’t be that you would have that many staff movements in a short space of time.”
Stinson resigned over personal issues
In a statement, Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas said his office was last week advised that a trainee from Ms Stinson’s officer was looking for “an opportunity to work in an alternative Labor MP’s office”.
“In discussing this with Jayne she revealed she had been grappling with a personal issue which had been very traumatic for her,” he said.
“This has understandably been a very difficult time in Jayne’s life, juggling this personal matter with the responsibilities of being a Shadow Minister.
“We agreed the best course of action was for her to stand down from the front bench so she had the time to deal with her personal issues and I accepted her resignation.”
Ms Stinson has been contacted by the ABC for comment.