The senator said she had to seek help due to anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder due to problems at her party, warning that the untimely death of the late Kimberly Kitching amid feelings of bullying “could have been me”.
Losing the battle before the selection to retain first place in the Liberal Party ticket, Senator Sam McMahon used his speech to call for change.
In January, she left the CLP, which traditionally sits in the Nationals party hall in Canberra, deciding to spend her last months in the Senate as an independent person.
Senator McMahon said her decision to leave the party was not due to a pre-selection loss.
The Northern Territory senator revealed that she had to seek “professional help” to overcome PTSD and anxiety, using the privilege of parliament to say she was “terrorized” by her former chief of staff Jason Riley.
Two years ago, it was reported that police were investigating an alleged quarrel between the couple.
Mr. Riley was not charged in the incident.
“The reason for my resignation was solely my former employee Jason Riley, who abused and terrorized my office, including me,” said Senator McMahon.
She said she feared for her personal safety when the CLP then put Mr Riley in a position on its central council.
“Sitting in meetings with such a person was stressful and I did not have to seek professional help to overcome anxiety and PTSD,” she said.
Senator McMahon said she was haunted by the death of Senator Kitching, who before his death spoke of bullying by co-workers.
“I think about the untimely death of my colleague Kimberly Kitching, and one thing that haunts me is it was so easily me,” she said.
“We can honor her memory, not by making it a political issue, but by correcting it, so politics is the best place, especially for women.
Senator McMahon said the entire parliament should learn from Senator Kitching’s death because he was not limited to one particular aspect of politics.
“If it happened, it shouldn’t have happened, but it seems like maybe it happens again and again,” she said.
“My only hope is that we learn and develop, and that doesn’t always have to be the case.
“These alleged behaviors toward Senator Kitching should not turn into guerrilla football because they are not limited to one particular aspect of politics.”
