NSW Liberal MP Jai Rowell has denied bullying a female administrator in a federal parliamentary office despite documents showing he was banned from the office after a complaint.
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Documents suggest the federal Parliament's human resources department requested Mr Rowell be blocked from entering the campaign office of fellow Liberal and federal MP Russell Matheson after the woman complained of "bullying" and "intimidation".
Mr Rowell, the NSW Liberal MP for Wollondilly, was previously Mr Matheson's campaign manager for the key marginal seat of Macarthur.
But Fairfax Media has learnt Mr Rowell was stood aside from that position last year after a long-serving member of Mr Matheson's administrative staff made a formal complaint against him.
"It is completely inappropriate and unacceptable that […] a member of Parliament can come into the workplace that I work in, and defame me […] in an attempt to intimidate and isolate me," the complaint, by a woman Fairfax Media has chosen not to name and who did not provide the documents, reads.
The claim led to an official investigation and an apparent request from Parliament's HR services for Mr Rowell to be kept from entering the office.
"Our advice to you would be to […leave] the office if Mr Rowell is there," the email, from Andrew House, a director of the department in charge of parliamentary staff, reads. "We would consider the previous limitation of [Mr Rowell] not attending the office would still be in place".
Mr Rowell's wife, Belinda, worked as Mr Matheson's office manager.
But Mr Rowell denied any workplace conflict with the secretary, a woman he described as an old friend.
"I had a stroke; that's a pretty good reason why I couldn't be campaign manager," Mr Rowell said, referring to a reported fall from a horse last January. "I have never been formally told I was banned [from the office].
"[The complainant and I] really good friends. A couple of people have obviously told her some silly stories; a few of my so-called friends have poisoned things."
Mr Matheson lost the western Sydney of Macarthur after a redistribution of the seat's boundaries by the electoral commission and a swing against the party.
Both he and the secretary declined to comment.
Fairfax Media revealed last month that Mr Matheson complained to Liberal Party officials about allegations that Mr Rowell had been involved in leaking material to Labor with the aim of undermining the campaign for Macarthur, a key marginal seat. Mr Rowell denied that allegation vehemently.
Mr Rowell, a former mental health minister, has long been one of Macquarie Street's most visible factional players.
He was dumped from cabinet after he moved against the Premier's preferred candidate for the NSW upper house at the last state election, Vietnamese businesswoman Dai Le.
But Liberal sources say he is now in a tense fight to retain control of his political fiefdom in Sydney's south-western outskirts after falling out with fellow MP and former ally, Lou Amato MLC.
