Louise Kingston to sit as independent after shock resignation and claims of bullying by WA Nationals leader

Louise Kingston has sensationally resigned from the WA Nationals, claiming she was the subject of bullying at the hands of the party’s leader. In an announcement made through tears in State Parliament on Thursday, Ms Kingston revealed the shock move. “It gives me no pleasure to have to say what I am going to have to say today,” she said. “As I have said many times since I have been here, I spent 30 years in speedway, a male-dominated sport, and learnt to handle myself very well. “Unfortunately, I have been a victim of relentless bullying and harassment by the leader of the Nationals.” Earlier in the month, Ms Kingston was placed fifth on the party’s Upper House ballot for next year’s State election. This position would have been a near impossibility for the party to win with the new voting system, needing to muster 13 per cent of the vote to return her to Parliament. Ms Kingston said her low preselection was a result of an “underhanded campaign”. “The party decided that I was not worthy to be a part of their team going forward by preselecting me in an unwinnable position,” she said. Immediately following the announcement, party leader Shane Love said the news was disappointing. “Today I have received correspondence from Hon. Louise Kingston MLC confirming her resignation from The Nationals WA and the Parliamentary National Party,” he said. “While it is disappointing Ms Kingston no longer wishes to be part of our Nationals WA team, we thank Ms Kingston for her service to our party.” The next day Mr Love told the media he could “think of nothing” he had done to hurt her. Nationals WA president Julie Freeman said on Thursday night no complaints had been lodged. “The Nationals have a robust harassment complaint policy to deal with any complaints from within or external to the party,” she said. “In recent years, we did extensive work to ensure we have an appropriate policy and procedures in place to respond to any concerns. “The State director has confirmed that no complaints have been lodged regarding this matter.” Ms Kingston ran unsuccessfully for a South West spot in the Legislative Council at the 2021 State election, being placed second on the Nationals ticket to former City of Bunbury councillor James Hayward. After Mr Hayward was kicked out of Parliament last year following his conviction of sexual abuse of a young girl, Ms Kingston took over his seat. On the other side of politics, Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns said on Friday she was saddened to hear Ms Kingston’s claims of bullying. “It’s incredibly distressing to see that women in a workplace in this day and age don’t feel that they are treated equally and with respect,” she said. Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Patrick Gorman said there was a major cultural problem in the Nationals. “We see more and more evidence, year after year, there’s a huge cultural problem in the National Party,” he said. “None of their leaders are taking responsibility for that. None of them want to clean it up. So that might be a job that the voters themselves have to do.” It is unclear what Ms Kingston plans to do for next year’s State election but she will now sit in Parliament as an independent.