The chief of staff to the Deputy Prime Minister has gone public with a workplace dispute, alleging she has been sidelined from her job after raising a bullying complaint. Richard Marles has denied his staffer's allegations.
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00:00Well, the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Prime Minister is a woman called Jo Tanoski. She's
00:07gotten up in the Mural Hall, a very public place in Parliament House today, and she has
00:12made allegations that she has essentially been sidelined from her position because she
00:18raised a bullying complaint with her boss, Richard Miles. She's delivered a pre-written
00:24statement where she says that she raised this complaint with Richard Miles following a trip
00:29to Ukraine in April. It was a complaint that she hasn't specified but involved bullying
00:35within other members of her office. She says she was then sidelined and effectively prevented
00:42from doing her job as a result. She says that she was asked to take leave immediately and
00:48that Richard Miles said that she should start to look for alternative employment. Here is
00:54a little bit of what she had to say earlier today.
00:57I continue to be employed officially as the Deputy Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, but
01:03I have been prevented from doing my job. I am unable to access my office unless I provide
01:0924 hours notice and I have been warned by a senior staffing representative that I am
01:15not safe and to stay away from the DPMO. I have not seen or heard from the Deputy Prime
01:22Minister for months.
01:25She also says that this has taken an incredible emotional toll on her, that she has had anxiety
01:32dealing with this issue. She says that she was asked for the security code to a safe
01:39that only she has access to and that she has refused to give that code over. She's not
01:46ruling out compensation. She stood in that press conference with her lawyer, Michael
01:51Bradley, who said that they're not anticipating legal action, but they are hoping that the
01:57Deputy Prime Minister's office responds and sorts out this situation.
02:01So there hasn't been a response yet from the Deputy Prime Minister, has there?
02:05There has been a statement that has been given out and a renewed statement given out to media
02:11since that press conference was held. He says that the story has some inaccuracies. He says
02:21that at all times she's been treated well and that they are obviously not going to comment
02:28any further given that there may be potential legal action.