12 November 2023

Johnathan Davis to resign from Assembly and ACT Greens following accusations about his 'personal life'

| Claire Fenwicke
Johnathan Davis MLA.

Johnathan Davis MLA is under investigation by both ACT Policing and the Legislative Assembly. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.

Brindabella MLA Johnathan Davis has announced his intention to resign from politics and relinquish his ACT Greens party membership.

Attorney-General and ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury said Mr Davis informed him of his intentions on Sunday (12 November) night.

“The ACT Greens take the conduct of our MLAs seriously and believe Canberrans should rightly expect the highest standards of behaviour, integrity and accountability from our representatives and members in office,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“While there has been no formal finding about Johnathan by any authorities, the intimate information that has been shared about his personal life has caused immense community concern, and the ACT Greens Party room supports his decision to resign from office.”

Mr Davis is providing a letter to Speaker Joy Burch regarding his decision.

Mr Rattenbury said he would have more to say on Monday (13 November).

“We recognise that the reporting of these events may have caused distress to members of the community and encourage people to reach out to services to receive support,” he said.

READ ALSO ACT’s restorative justice scheme is a ‘valuable alternative’ not ‘soft justice’, review finds

A police investigation has been opened into allegations Mr Davis had been involved in “possible sexual interactions with younger people”.

It’s believed one of these people was underage at the time.

Mr Davis’ resignation means there will need to be a recount of the seat of Brindabella.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by this reporting, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, contact Triple Zero (000).

If you would like to report a crime or require police assistance, contact 131 444. Help is also available from the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 6247 2525 or 0488 586 518 (text line only).

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