NSW Upper House MP Michael Johnsen has resigned from state parliament after being accused of rape and honestly, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Johnsen was removed from the Nationals and Coalition party rooms last week after identifying himself as the man accused of raping a sex worker in the Blue Mountains in 2019. However, it’s worth noting that he denied the allegations at the time.
Following the rape allegations, the ABC reported that Johnsen offered the same sex worker $1000 to have sex with him in his office in the state parliament, and allegedly sent a number of inappropriate sexts while sitting in Question Time.
Messages allegedly sent during Question Time included “I’m in QT and fuck I’m horny” and “I’m sitting in the chamber with a hard-on now.”
Following a week of scandals and a subsequent police investigation into the rape allegations against him, Johnsen has officially resigned on Wednesday afternoon.
His resignation comes just a day after NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro called for it.
“My message to the people of the Upper Hunter is I will always put integrity before politics, which is why I called for Mr Johnsen’s resignation,” Barilaro said in a statement on Tuesday.
The New South Wales Police Sex Crimes Squad is currently investigating Johnsen’s alleged rape of a sex worker in the Blue Mountains in 2019, however, Johnsen says he’s confident the investigation will find him innocent.
Following his resignation, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said she is “very relieved.”
“That is a good outcome. We look forward to moving forward,” she said.
Help is available.
If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
