Ex-Lambie chief set for day in court

A FEDERAL Court trial will be held in Hobart next year with former senator Jacqui Lambie’s ex-chief of staff taking action, claiming unfair dismissal.

During a hearing in Melbourne yesterday, lawyers for Rob Messenger and his wife Fern confirmed most of the witnesses for the 10-day trial would be Hobart-based.

None of the parties were present at the brief hearing before Justice Richard Tracey.

Mr Messenger was sacked for “serious misconduct” in 2017, with he and Mrs Messenger leaving Ms Lambie’s office in May.

At the time, Ms Lambie said Mr Messenger did not agree with the direction she was taking and that “Rob has moved on to bigger and better things”.

However it was later claimed in court documents that Mr Messenger was sacked after he wrote to the Prime Minister about Ms Lambie’s alleged inappropriate workplace behaviour a few months earlier.

He also contacted thenSenate President Stephen Parry and Leader of the House Christopher Pyne about health and safety issues.

He cited working an un- reasonable number of hours and having to field phone calls from war veterans without appropriate training or skills.

Ms Lambie found out about the letters and said it represented a breakdown of employer-employee trust, according to Mr Messenger’s statement of claim.

The trial will be held next year at a date to be fixed but not before February 19.