2023-02-08
I rise to speak to the 2022 annual report from the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce, which provides an update on the implementation of the recommendations by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins, for the report titled Set the standard. From the outset, I want to thank the leadership taskforce and, in particular, my colleague and friend Senator Waters for the important work they are doing.
We can never forget the Jenkins report revealed that a staggering 51 per cent of people working in parliamentary workplaces have experienced at least one incident of bullying, sexual harassment, or actual or attempted sexual assault. One in three staffers who participated in the review had been sexually harassed. The highest office in this country should have led the way on workplace safety. Instead, it was revealed to be toxic, cutthroat and hypermasculine; a place where you're expected to develop a thick skin and act like a man. The so-called rough and tumble of politics has real consequences for those of us who don't conform to these expectations.
The report referred directly to discrimination experienced by First Nations people, people of colour, people with disability and LGBTQI+ people. These included daily exclusion, microaggressions, bullying, role segregation and a lack of psychological safety. The under-representation of these cohorts is linked to systemic inequality and creates a conducive environment for bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault. That is the reason I pushed so hard for the behaviour codes to explicitly prohibit discrimination, including on the grounds of race, age, sex, sexuality, gender identity, disability or religion.
I'm really pleased with the progress made in implementing the Jenkins recommendations. In November the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards tabled behaviour codes of conduct which apply to parliamentary precincts, parliamentarians and staff. These codes, unanimously agreed by our committee, show that we are serious about stopping unacceptable behaviour in this place, and I'm really glad to see that the behaviour codes are being endorsed by this chamber and the other one today. The codes will set an expectation of how we behave here. How this place changes for the better, though, will depend on our commitment to changing culture. We must keep an eye on each other and call out unacceptable behaviour—like racism, sexism, bullying and intimidation, and also all forms of discrimination—whenever and wherever it happens. I do urge the government to quickly set up the investigative and enforcement mechanisms to give the codes power to make the change so desperately needed and to hold us all accountable.
I am heartened that other recommendations are also progressing. I particularly acknowledge the excellent work being done by the PWSS, who have already contributed to making parliament safer and more supportive. But there is still so much to do, particularly on diversity. It is great to see that the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce has ample female representation. But what about diversity? The task force is not representative of this diversity. There is no person of colour or First Nations person on that task force.
Recommendation 9 of the Jenkins report called for a review of the physical infrastructure, policies and practices within parliament, to increase accessibility and inclusion. This must be a priority. The mandatory training recommended by the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards, including on antiracism, disability discrimination and First Nations cultural awareness, is crucial to challenging an entrenched culture of privilege and power.
While the government has reduced the length of sitting days in the interests of wellbeing—and that's a good thing—we need to get better at sticking to these changes. Rushed hours motions to extend sitting times till late at night became all too common last year, at the cost of people's wellbeing. They're also not in the interests of carefully considered policymaking. Our parliament should lead the way in creating a decent workplace—one where everyone feels safe, respected and valued; one where people from all walks of life and backgrounds want to come and work.
I want to finish by saying one of the most important things that I feel. I pay tribute to the people who work in this place currently and who did formerly for their courage in speaking up about the broken culture which allowed bullying, harassment, sexual assault and racism to continue. Your courage is causing change for the better.