The former Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Taylor Martin, has been expelled from the NSW Liberal Party after a months-long investigation into harassment complaints against the member of the state's Upper House made last year.
The party's state director expelled Mr Martin on Friday, April 19, after a confidential report into the allegations was handed to the Liberal Party's state executive.
"The NSW Liberal Party expects the highest standards of behaviour of its members and elected representatives and will continue to strive to ensure those standards are consistently upheld," the party said in a brief statement on Friday night.
Mr Martin told the Newcastle Herald he was "shocked and disappointed" on Friday night after the statement was released. It's understood that he will remain in the Upper House as an independent.
Mr Martin is working with high profile lawyer Rebekah Giles to review the decision and explore possible avenues of appeal.
"I've just got to work out what it means," he said.
The state Liberal Party is presently in a campaign period. It means that the state director has the power to expel any member they see fit.
The Liberal Party leader, Mark Speakman, has said that he supports the state director's decision.
"I expect, and the public are entitled to expect, the highest standards of behaviour by MPs," he said.
In July last year, the Liberal Party appointed former Independent Commission Against Corruption commissioner Patricia McDonald to investigate allegations by former federal Liberal MP Lucy Wicks that Mr Martin sent a series of demeaning and abusive texts to her after their relationship ended.
Details of the allegations against Mr Martin were leaked the same month, before Ms Wicks was identified on Sydney radio station 2GB as the woman at the centre of the scandal.
Ms Wicks alleged Mr Martin referred to her as a "dumb slut", a "pig", a "f---wit", a "c---", a "sicko" and a "f---ing idiot" in the texts.
Mr Martin entered into a relationship with Ms Wicks after joining her staff as a 24-year-old.
"My complaint to the Liberal Party was in relation to serious concerns, including behaviour in the workplace, in the party, and in political interactions," Ms Wicks said on Facebook after being identified.
"It includes allegations that I was physically threatened and received hundreds of demeaning, degrading and abusive texts.
"During that five-year period, I was continually exposed to highly aggressive barrages of verbal abuse, which included threats to destroy my reputation if I spoke up."
Mr Martin was elected to the state's Legislative Council in May 2017 and served as the Hunter's parliamentary secretary from December 22, 2021, to March 25, last year, when he stood aside after the scandal broke.
He apologised over the allegations in July but said at the time there were "two sides to every story".
He admitted to "heated words during my attempts to go separate ways that I sincerely regret".
"If I could undo any hurt that has been caused, I would do it in a heartbeat," he said.
