Dorinda Cox has quit her party. With that, she opened a floodgate of accusations against its leadership, alleging an environment of racism and workplace toxicity. In an unusually scathing resignation letter, she expressed her profound disappointment with her party’s handling of grave accusations. These allegations consisted of bullying and even physical assault between elected party members.
Cox is departing after one term in office. She claims that during her tenure, she suffered through a systemic and continuous pattern of harassment. Her letter highlights her difficulty in remaining underwhelmed by the lack of management in her own organization’s breakdown. She alleges that the establishment party retaliated by attempting to silence her rather than addressing the concerns she raised. In her resignation, she indicated that she is now free to speak openly about her experiences, stating that the Greens had “failed [her] as its last First Nations MP, and continue to fail First Nations people.”
Allegations of Bullying and Assault
Cox’s allegations enclose a hotly contested claim of an assault at Perth Airport by a member of the party. Though she didn’t name Culley during her remarks, this incident drew national attention and serves as an example of her larger accusations of party harassment. She took offense at suggestions of bullying from her, even though media reports claimed she bullied lawmakers.
“I am not, and have never been, a bully. I do not perpetrate it.” – Senator Dorinda Cox
Cox further elaborated on her struggles, stating, “I have faced an unremitting campaign of bullying and dishonest claims over the last 18 months.” Her argument was that the culture of the Greens is irredeemably toxic, especially in its treatment of First Nations women.
This internal unrest resulted in an unusual investigation into complaints against Cox, since withdrawn after Cox’s resignation. The party had expelled her from the caucus just days before she left.
Reaction from the Greens
Addressing Cox’s accusations and resignation, a representative for the Greens said they were saddened to hear of her departure. They claimed that these claims edited out the narrative of the vigorous support Cox had within the party. They too rejected the allegations, contending that any challenges zoomed past substantial steps taken to rectify her awful reception.
“These claims are disappointing, unrepresentative of the support Senator Cox received, and ignore the substantive work undertaken by the party to find a resolution to the complaints made both by and against Senator Cox, and to address the breakdown in her relationship with Greens’ First Nations members,” – Greens spokesperson
The spokesperson pointed to the Greens’ dedicated commitment to anti-racism. They argued that requiring a senior senator from your state to answer difficult questions is not bullying.
“The Greens are an anti-racism party, and pushing a senator to take complaints seriously is not bullying.” – Greens spokesperson
Cox’s accusations would seem to suggest serious rot under the organization’s skin. She tell the story of a time when her kids were approached by a former staff member. This was the same chief executive who had once accused her of rape and sexual harassment. This incident only added to her experience of being the target of a well-orchestrated campaign from within the party.
Future Actions and Implications
After her resignation, Cox made it known that she wanted to go down a different route entirely. She stressed that she is now able to be the member she was elected by the people of Western Australia to be. The importance of her defection to Labor last week cannot be overstated, given the trajectory of her tumultuous political career.
Cox lambasted the Greens for failing in their duty of care to her and her staff. She criticized them for caring more about majority seat wins than dealing with their pressing issues in party infrastructure.
“The Greens failed in their duty of care for my staff and me, and disregarded the reported and obvious impact of what was occurring. The focus was solely on winning seats,” – Senator Dorinda Cox
The implications of her resignation can reach far beyond individual grievances. It calls into question how political parties deal with allegations of harassment and bullying, especially the treatment of First Nations representatives.
