Condemnation grows for Tas. MP
UPDATE: Mr O'Byrne says he will seek to remain in Parliament and as the Labor Member for Franklin, but will no longer be part of the state Labor caucus.
ORIGINAL: There are strong calls this week for Tasmanian backbench MP David O’Byrne to resign over sexual assault allegations.
Mr O'Byrne resigned as Labor leader in July after allegations of sexual harassment were raised by a former staffer.
A former junior union worker of Mr O'Byrne's alleged that he kissed her without consent and sent inappropriate texts. Mr O'Byrne said he believed the interactions were consensual.
An independent investigation was ordered by the state Labor Party branch, which last week found “no further action” was required. Mr O’Byrne remains on the backbench.
The complainant, Rachel Midson, said the inquiry caused her to lose faith in the process.
This week, former premiers Lara Giddings and Paul Lennon have called for Mr O'Byrne to “do the honourable thing and resign from the Tasmanian Parliament”.
“The right thing to do in circumstances such as this is to resign from public office,” they said.
“Improper advances on women must stop and consent better understood when it comes to relationships between two people.
“Consent should never be assumed by anyone.
“No woman should feel that her workplace is not a safe environment.
“Inappropriate behaviour will not change unless women like Rachel are prepared to speak out about their experiences and how it made them feel and are supported to do so.”