Richard Marles’ media director Kate Hanns lawyers up

The woman dubbed “the other powerful woman” in the office drama haunting Defence Minister Richard Marles has engaged lawyers after she was accused in a Federal Court legal filing of bullying former chief of staff Jo Tarnawsky.

News.com.au can reveal that Mr Marles’ respected media director Kate Hanns, has engaged defamation specialist Patrick George of Giles-George, a law firm that specialises in reputational risk.

The veteran Labor staffer is now exploring her legal options amid concerns that a legal document outlining the former chief of staff’s statement of claim may have been disseminated to the media prior to its formal release by the Federal Court. Ms Hanns declined to comment on the matter.

In the filing, Ms Tarnawsky’s legal team accused Ms Hanns, who was one of Labor’s deputy communications chiefs for the 2022 election, of excluding their client from crucial information within the office.

Ms Tarnawsky revealed on Monday that she had begun proceedings for adverse action under the Fair Work Act, naming the Commonwealth, Defence Minister Richard Marles and the prime minister’s chief of staff, Tim Gartrell, as respondents.

She is not alleging that either Mr Marles or Mr Gartrell bullied her.

Ms Hanns is named in the document but is not a respondent in the matter.

A defence has yet to be filed by any of the respondents and the allegations contained within have yet to be tested in court.

Ms Tarnawsky’s lawsuit against the federal government names Mr Marles and the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s chief of staff Tim Gartrell, claiming she was subjected to ‘adverse action’ under the Fair Work Act.

Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles has previously told parliament he’s “sad” that his former chief of staff is threatening legal action over her departure after complaining of bullying at Parliament House.

However, he suggested that it’s difficult to say more given “it’s in the hands of lawyers.”

His former chief of staff has not accused the deputy prime minister of bullying but has raised concerns over how he handled her complaints.

He told Question Time that he was satisfied he had upheld the highest workplace standards, including maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for his staff.

“[Ms Jo Tarnawsky] started working for me back in 2012 and she is someone who I have known for a long time,” he said.

“She is a wonderful person who in her role then and now, she has given me great service and I remain deeply grateful for that. She is a person who is completely committed to social justice in this country and I very much admire her for that.

“It is obviously very difficult. Let me say that in the way in which I have tried to manage this, I have done so with Jo’s welfare in mind at every moment as I would try to manage things on that basis for all of my staff.

“As is evident, this matter is now in the hands of lawyers – of course that is absolutely Jo’s right but it does mean that it is difficult for me to say anything more on this.”

‘Not safe’: Leaked texts from inside gov office

Leaked texts have laid bare the breakdown in Marles’ relationship with his chief of staff, who is alleging that a troubling culture of bullying in the office forced her to resign.

Former chief of staff Jo Tarnawsky alleges she was driven from the job after she was “bullied” in Mr Marles’ office and asked that “those who have enabled his behaviour” to be “held accountable”.

Ms Tarnawsky does not allege she was bullied by Mr Marles but does take issue with how he handled her complaints.

During an emotional press conference, she said she was “the most senior female chief of staff” in the Albanese Government and said that her “workplace is not safe”.

Mr Marles contests the allegations and says she was treated with respect.

She called on the Prime Minister to “ensure the safety of women in this building”.

“I know it won’t be long now before I am bullied out of this place completely,” she said.

“I have been plagued with nightmares, flashbacks, symptoms of depression and anxiety, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts.”

During the flight home from an official trip to Ukraine in late April, she says she raised concerns privately with the Deputy Prime Minister about some bullying behaviour within the office.

“It is the single-biggest thing I have pulled off in my career,” she texted Mr Marles. “Given the same circumstances and the same ridiculous time pressures, I’d do it again.”

She said Mr Marles had discovered she had been recommended for another senior job but she considered her current position “an honour” and wanted to stay where she was.

“I just need to work out if I’m still valued in this role, and if you want me to stay.”

In response, Mr Marles was initially supportive but she said that soon changed.

“Jo, I know what you did to pull off the Ukraine visit, and as I’ve said to you, it was amazing,’” he wrote.

“‘You should feel proud. I believe I’ve praised you in front of others, but I’ll make sure to do that again. I have not heard the negative talking. People are careful around me, but I don’t doubt what you say. I know things are not going well. I value you and value the job you have done for me. More than that, I am deeply grateful.’”

In a statement, she said the relationship soon took a nose dive after she raised the concerns.

“During the flight home from an official trip to Ukraine in late April, I raised concerns privately with the Deputy Prime Minister about some bullying behaviour within the office. He acknowledged the concerns, restated the value he placed in me and my work and said we should have a chat about it,’’ she said.

Ms Tarnawsky alleges she was pressed to sign a non-ongoing three-month contract.

“Any of my attempts to resolve the issue or to discuss it in person were refused. (Marles) demanded that I take several weeks of leave immediately. I was shocked, but he assured me that I had not been stood down and that I would be treated with total dignity.

“He said, ‘trust me, I know how to handle this’.

“But when I tried to return to work in June, it was left to the Prime Minister’s chief of staff to inform me that I could never return to my role or to the Deputy Prime Minister’s office.

“No fair process has been followed. I continue to be employed officially as the Deputy Prime Minister’s chief of staff, but I have been prevented from doing my job. I am unable to access my office unless I provide 24 hours’ notice and I have been warned by a senior staffing representative that I am not safe and to stay away from the DPMO. I have not seen or heard from the Deputy Prime Minister for months.”

A spokesperson for Mr Marles has disputed Ms Tarnawsky’s account.

“A number of the assertions and recollections are contested. Ms. Tarnawsky has been treated with respect and courtesy,’’ the spokesperson said.

“At all times, the wellbeing of staff, including Ms. Tarnawsky has been front of mind. Out of respect for Ms. Tarnawsky, and the prospect of legal proceedings, it is not appropriate to make further comment.

“The Albanese Government is committed to improving workplace behaviour and culture at Parliament House.”

Mr Marles is currently acting Prime Minister while Anthony Albanese is overseas in Laos, adding to the embarrassment over the allegations surfacing while parliament is sitting.

Ms Tarnawsky said she had made reports of bullying and other inappropriate behaviour but ultimately felt she was then driven out of parliament.

“So what happened was Jo raised a legitimate concern about issues within the office of the deputy prime minister, including bullying behaviour, and the response to that was to effectively drive her out of her job,” lawyer Michael Bradley said.

“Jo accepts that it’s a relationship of trust and confidence, and if that trust and confidence isn’t there, then of course, it can’t continue.

“She’s like every worker in the country, entitled to fair treatment, procedural fairness and her rights as an employee had not been respected.”

Ms Tarnawsky called on the Prime Minister to take action on her allegations.

“The Prime Minister has committed the government to parliamentary workplace reforms, to ensuring the safety of women in this building and to higher standards in the ministerial code of conduct,” Ms Tarnawsky said.

“I asked the Prime Minister, I asked the Prime Minister to hold these commitments in full. No political party is immune from poor, poor workplace behaviour, but the real test is how they handle it when it happens.”

“The way I have been treated has been cowardly, cruel and completely unnecessary.”