Outgoing Boothby MP Nicolle Flint makes fiery speech urging Parliament to change culture to be more respectful of women

An emotional Nicolle Flint hit out at Anthony Albanese in a fiery speech – but also had strong words for her Liberal colleagues behind closed doors. Watch her speech here.

Nicolle Flint has spoken out about the need for changes to Parliament’s culture, while calling for the safety of women to be “above politics”.

The Member for Boothby hit out at Opposition leader Anthony Albanese in a fiery, and at times tearful, speech in the House of Representatives for turning the treatment of women into “an ugly political fight”.

“The need to change the culture of our parties, of this place, should be above politics,” Ms Flint said.

“I ask, the Leader of the Opposition, where was he, and where was his predecessor, and where were all the senior Labor women, when the GetUp, Labor and Union supporters chased, harassed and screamed at me everywhere I went in the lead up to the 2019 election?

“Where were they, when I was subjected to horrendous sexist and misogynistic abuse scrawled all over my campaign office?

“Well I say to the Leader of the Opposition, and I hope he is listening right now, I will not be lectured by you, or by anyone on your side of politics about the treatment of women in this place.

“We all bear the responsibility for change.”

She also accused Labor of hypocrisy over failing to support her when she was “chased, harassed and screamed at” by activists during the 2019 election.

Nicolle Flint has highlighted the need for cultural change in parliament. Picture: Keryn Stevens

The South Australian Liberal MP, who last month announced she was quitting politics, also urged her Coalition colleagues in a party meeting on Tuesday to consider 10 tips for making parliament a more family-friendly and normal place to work.

Getting rid of alcohol in parliament house, restricting parliament to normal work hours from 9am to 6pm, and reforming Question Time to make it “more civil” were among the tips, outlined in a column in The Australian.

Speaking on ABC radio this morning, Ms Flint sidestepped questions about whether she had been neglected or undermined by factional opponents within the state Liberal Party.

“Could the South Australian division have done more? Absolutely,” she said.

But she declined to elaborate, saying there was a higher cause than politics – to ensure that the abuse perpetrated upon her in Boothby during the 2019 election campaign did not happen again.

Ms Flint called on her colleagues to read the reforms, which also include giving MPs a normal lunch break, offering a genuine counselling service, and getting party leaders to tell MPs that “spreading rumours about the sex lives” of female MPs or staffers must end.

Four other Coalition MPs backed Ms Flint’s remarks in the party room after she highlighted that it had been “a hard month for all, especially for women” in the wake of explosive sexual assault allegations.

Ms Flint said people want to know how the government was addressing the issues.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Ms Flint was an “incredibly brave woman” when asked today about her speech.

He said she had “endured one of the ugliest campaigns” ever seen waged against a politician in Australia, and he was “amazed” Labor, the unions and GetUp “just stood by to let that happen”.

“We’re sad she won’t run again at the next election,” Mr Morrison said, indicating she could have been a future minister.

“I think she would have been an outstanding member of the executive to be honest, but sadly we won’t have that opportunity but I think she has blazed a trail for many other women in the Liberal Party to come,” he said.

Mr Morrison revealed Ms Flint had told him she did not want to be considered for a promotion into the ministry ahead of the reshuffle last December, but it was unclear from his remarks if she had told him she would quit politics.