Emma Husar

Emma Husar (born 20 April 1980) is a former Australian Labor Party (ALP) member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Lindsay, which she represented from 2016 to 2019. During an internal investigation and media reports regarding staff complaints, Husar decided not to recontest her seat and was disendorsed by the ALP in due course.

Husar was born at Nepean Hospital in Kingswood, New South Wales, in the local government area of the City of Penrith. She attended Caroline Chisholm College and Southport TAFE prior to enrolment at Western Sydney University in a Bachelor of Primary Teaching degree.

Husar worked in the retail and service sectors. She joined the Labor Party in 2013 and became president of the Penrith Branch (ALP) in 2015. Husar was unsuccessful as the ALP candidate for the seat of Penrith in the 2015 New South Wales state election, but won the seat of Lindsay by defeating the sitting Liberal MP Fiona Scott in the 2016 federal election with a swing of 4.1 percent. Lindsay was regarded as a key marginal seat. During her term in office, Husar sat on parliamentary committees for the National Disability Insurance Scheme; Employment, Education and Training; and Social Policy and Legal Affairs.

In July 2018, it was reported that Husar had been the subject of an internal assessment commissioned by the NSW Labor Party since March regarding staff complaints of workplace bullying and misconduct. Husar denied the allegations and took personal leave shortly afterwards, citing threats of violence directed towards her. The investigation upheld complaints that Husar had behaved offensively and unreasonably towards her staff. Separately, claims of lewd conduct and misleading the parliament were rejected. Legal advice based on this assessment prompted the NSW Labor Party to report that there was no basis for Husar to resign from parliament.

Husar had already been re-endorsed as the party's candidate at the 2019 election, but announced on 8 August 2018 (two days before investigation findings were made public) she would not recontest her marginal seat. Labor accepted her decision. In an interview, Husar said "slut shaming" led to her decision to resign.

In November 2018, Husar said she had changed her mind and disputed that she had ever ceased to be endorsed as the Labor candidate. Husar sought intervention by Labor leader Bill Shorten, who stated that it was not in the best interests of the ALP or Husar for her to recontest the seat. On 7 December 2018, NSW Labor formally disendorsed Husar from recontesting the seat of Lindsay.

She subsequently stated that she would challenge the disendorsement. On 11 December, Labor officially selected Diane Beamer. Apparently, Husar did not nominate for the ALP preselection ballot. On 11 April, she confirmed that she would not contest the seat as an independent at the 2019 federal election.

In May 2021, Husar reportedly threatened legal action against the ALP for sexual harassment.