Activist, adviser Sally Rugg takes former boss Monique Ryan to court

Teal independent Dr Monique Ryan is facing Federal Court action by her former chief-of-staff Sally Rugg over an alleged breach of workplace law.

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

Sally Rugg was Monique Ryan’s chief of staff.Credit:Nick Moir/Alex Ellinghausen

Rugg, who left Ryan’s office over summer, lodged the court application against her former boss on January 25, alleging a breach of general protections under the Fair Work Act.

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

Ryan declined to comment, saying she had been advised against it by her lawyers. Rugg’s lawyers, from the firm Maurice Blackburn, also declined to comment.

An interlocutory hearing before judge Debra Mortimer has been set down for 10.15am on Thursday.

Rugg played a key role in the marriage equality campaign as a campaign director for GetUp between 2013 and 2018. She has also been a key advocate for a royal commission into Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in Australia, alongside former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd.

Following her recruitment, Rugg told this masthead’s CBD column she’d been drawn to Ryan since her performance in a town hall debate against Frydenberg midway through the election campaign.

“What drew me to Monique was obviously the policy priorities – climate change, gender equity, integrity and transparency in politics – but also her approach as a grassroots, community-connected independent,” she said.

In July, Ryan described Rugg as an “outstanding all-rounder with excellent leadership experience, a proven track record of effective policy advocacy, and high-level strategic communications skills”.

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