Sally Rugg takes ex-boss Monique Ryan to court

The teal independent Dr. Monique Ryan is being sued in federal court by her former chief of staff, Sally Rugg, for an alleged violation of labor law.

Ryan recruited Rugg, a marriage equality activist and former executive director of Change.org, last year after her victory in the federal election over former Liberal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in the Kooyong seat.

Rugg, who left Ryan’s office over the summer, filed the lawsuit against her former boss on January 25, alleging a violation of the general protections of the Fair Work Act.

The Commonwealth is also listed as a defendant in the matter.

Ryan declined to comment, saying she was advised against it by her lawyers. Rugg’s attorneys at Maurice Blackburn law firm also declined to comment.

An interim hearing before Judge Debra Mortimer is scheduled for Thursday at 10:15 am.

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Rugg played a key role in the Marriage Equality campaign as campaign director for GetUp between 2013 and 2018. She was also a key advocate for a royal commission in Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in Australia, alongside former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

After her recruitment, Rugg shared this imprint CBD She had been drawn to Ryan in the column since her appearance in a mid-campaign citizenship debate against Frydenberg.