Richard Marles sued by chief of staff who alleges she was forced out of job after making bullying complaint

Jo Tarnawsky's legal action names commonwealth, deputy prime minister and PM's chief of staff but doesn't allege either bullied her

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The deputy prime minister's chief of staff, Jo Tarnawsky, is suing her boss and the government, alleging in the federal court that she was punished for raising a bullying complaint and naming a colleague as an alleged perpetrator.

Tarnawsky revealed on Monday that she had begun proceedings for adverse action under the Fair Work Act, naming the commonwealth, her boss Richard Marles and the prime minister's chief of staff, Tim Gartrell, as respondents. Tarnawsky is not alleging that either Marles or Gartrell bullied her.

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