Sexual harassment is rife in South Australian parliament, report finds

An inquiry commissioned by the Attorney-General has uncovered serious allegations of indecent exposure, physical assault and sexually suggestive comments from SA MPs and parliamentary staff.

A damning inquiry into harassment in State Parliament has uncovered shocking allegations of indecent exposure, assault and sexual suggestions by MPs and their staff.

The investigation was conducted by former acting Equal Opportunity commissioner Emily Strickland.

It has made 16 recommendations to combat bad behaviour within the corridors of Parliament House, and in ministerial and MPs’ electorate offices.

The findings of the inquiry were made public this afternoon.

The report concluded that “sexual and discriminatory harassment is prevalent in the parliamentary workplace”.

“(A total of ) 27.1 per cent of survey respondents reported they had experienced sexual harassment in the parliamentary workplace,” it read.

“(A total of) 31.6 per cent of survey respondents reported having experienced offensive comments or jokes made about a personal attribute protected by equal opportunity legislation.”

Attorney-General Vickie Chapman.

The report went on to reveal alleged instances of harassment.

“Six interview participants and two participants who made written submissions described being victims of sexual harassment in the last five years, and all of those alleged incidents involved either members of parliament or staff of members of parliament as perpetrators,” the report read.

“Allegations of harassment ranged in seriousness and included sexually suggestive and unwelcome comments, indecent exposure, and physical assault.”

Incidents of unwelcome touching, such as on backsides, as well as reports of people “indecently touching themselves”, were also raised in the inquiry.

The inquiry heard of once instance of a male exposing himself in front of co-workers.

It also revealed that complaints made against MPs were handled poorly and victims were often left to develop their own “protective strategies”.

The inquiry made 16 recommendations, including forming a centralised human resources function to support consistent policies and practices and establishing code of conduct with sanctions for breaches.

MP Sam Duluk outside Adelaide Magistrates Court, after being charged with assault. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Current interim Equal Opportunity commissioner Steph Halliday said the review showed there was work to be done to ensure the parliamentary workplace was safe and respectful.

Attorney-General Vickie Chapman said that the government would consider the recommendations and outline its response “in the near future”.

On Wednesday morning, she told the ABC that alcohol was an “aggravating” factor for bad behaviour but not a cause and that was “not unusual” when compared to any other workplace.

“Everyone has a responsibility to keep themselves in order, both to do their work and to comply with the law,” Ms Chapman said.

“If people get untidy, they don’t do their work and they behave badly … that is a situation where generally members of parliament and their staff need to be mindful they’re at a workplace and there is not an acceptance in any way for it to be unsafe.”

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said he hoped the report would herald a new era of improved workplace behaviour within parliament.

The review was launched in November last year.

It came after the Equal Opportunity Act was amended in October to allow the Equal Opportunity Commissioner to investigate complaints of sexual harassment between MPs.

Loopholes in the Act came to light earlier this year after former Liberal, now independent MP, Sam Duluk was accused of slapping SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros on the bottom at a Christmas function in Parliament House in 2019.

Police charged Mr Duluk with one count of assault and he is set to stand trial in June.

He has yet to formally enter a plea.

If convicted, he faces a maximum two-year jail term.