New tell-all book on sexism in Parliament House out tomorrow
Sex, lies and Question Time is the aptly named and timed book penned by former Adelaide MP Kate Ellis.
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Former Labor MP Kate Ellis has revealed sexist treatment of women in federal politics is “widespread” and goes all the way to the top.
But, it’s those at the bottom – female staffers like Brittany Higgins – who she fears for most, and warns “it’s never going to change unless we keep calling it out”.
The former MP from Adelaide is tomorrow releasing a tell-all tale about sexism almost two years after retiring from a career spanning 15 years – six years spent as a Minister.
The insider accounts include untold experiences, and new background on well-known ones, of 16 female parliamentarians including Julia Gillard, Julie Bishop, Penny Wong and Pauline Hanson.
Ellis says the experiences of sexism, sexist behaviour and sexualised bullying was “widespread” and disproportionately levelled at women across all levels in politics.
“The people I have spoken to are among the most powerful and privileged women in Parliament House and they all had a story to tell about being treated differently because they were a woman,” said Ellis, 43.
“I can only imagine how shocking some of the stories that we have not yet heard must be from those women (working in politics) who do not have that same power and privilege,” she told the Sunday Mail.
Ellis is herself a recipient of numerous rape and death threats – one hand delivered to her doorstep, and salacious rumours she slept her way to becoming the youngest ever Minister in 2007.
“We just thought that was the way it was.”
Looking back, she says, she still doesn’t know what the best course of action against pervasive sexism in Parliament House could have been.
“You just want to get on with your job – and calling it out, or choosing to ignore it, didn’t seem to make it go away.
“I do think change is now coming from the outside – from the community putting pressure on political members that this behaviour is unacceptable and those behind it must be made accountable”
Ellis’ book arrives following recent rape allegations from former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, a historical sexual-assault allegation denied by Attorney-General Christian Porter, and a sexual act on a female MPs desk.
Sex, Lies And Question Time, by Kate Ellis (Hardie Grant Books, $32.99), is out Monday.
I thought of quitting, Hanson-Young
Persistent and unchallenged“sexualised bullying” from a core group of male MPs “terrified” Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young to the point she avoided Question Time and contemplated quitting politics.
The South Australian senator told the Sunday Mail of the deep impact of “disgusting” sexist behaviour in federal parliament throughout much of 2018 and the culture of “reckoning” and “guilt” she believes is now occurring.
“It was very, very sexualised bullying and it happened in front of everyone and no-one would stand up and call it out,” she said.
When she stood up in parliament, a core group of male MPs regularly called out the names of men she was alleged to have slept with, or what she allegedly did with them.
“One … was old enough to be my grandfather,” she said.
The emotional toll on her is told for the first time in fellow MP Kate Ellis’ book launching Monday.
“I was terrified some days going to Question Time …. I was worried about what they would say next, what rumour were they going to start.
“It got to the point where I was frequently missing Question Time … I seriously questioned whether I could stick around,” she said.
But, in November 2018, Ms Hanson-Young named in parliament former senators Barry O’Sullivan, Fraser Anning, Cory Bernardi and David Leyonhjelm as those behind the name calling.
Ms Hanson-Young says she wished she had called out the behaviour sooner, because it stopped shortly after that. She is optimistic a “dramatic shift” will follow weeks of sustained rape and sexual harassment allegations.
“There’s a collective guilt seeping through the corridors … I think people are asking themselves: why didn’t I speak up when I saw that?, should have I been stronger?, or why didn’t I allow myself to get angry about this?
“I think we are in the midst of a reckoning, both inside and outside of parliament.”
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