NSW Liberals MP Taylor Martin has been booted from the state branch of the party after an independent investigation into text messages he sent during a breakup resulted in party members voting to expel him.
The complaint about Martin’s textual conduct was made by a woman whom he’d been in a relationship with, who was a staffer with him in the federal parliament some years earlier. She has asked to be kept anonymous, as per the ABC.
The internal investigation was initiated by the NSW Liberals last July, at which point Taylor removed himself from the party room, though has remained part of the party as an elected MP.
Now, some months later the investigation has concluded, with NSW Liberal Party State Director Richard Shields delivering a statement of the results.
“On the basis of the report’s findings the NSW Liberal party state director has acted quickly and decisively, ratified by the state executive, to expel Mr Martin as a member of the NSW division,” said Shields.
“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 actual details of the investigation, including the text messages that were allegedly sent by Martin, remain confidential and will not be shared with the public. So you can stop snooping around here for some spicy texts.
Last year at the beginning of the investigation, Martin released a statement of apology for his conduct, saying he was “young and inexperienced” and in a situation “way beyond” him at the time of the breakup.
“There were heated words during my attempts to go separate ways that I sincerely regret,” Martin said last year.
“It was an ugly and undignified parting of ways.”
At the time he apologised “unreservedly” to all involved.
Though Martin has been kicked out of the NSW Liberals, he remains an MP and is now sitting as an independent member of the state parliament on the legislative council.
Martin is yet to publicly comment on his expulsion.
