LNP senator refuses to take part in parliament sexual harassment training

A Queensland LNP senator will refuse to take part in new sexual harassment training, saying the plan to name and shame those who skip it is harassment itself.

Senator Gerard Rennick has taken issue with the fact parliamentarians will be named and shamed if they don’t take part in the sexual harassment training. Picture: Trudy Brown

A Morrison government senator will refuse to take part in new sexual harassment training for parliamentarians, saying the plan to name and shame those who skip it is harassment itself.

Queensland Liberal National Party senator Gerard Rennick has lashed out at the program, insisting he would not be taking part in the training.

“I don’t intend to sign up,” he told NCA NewsWire.

Queensland LNP senator Gerard Rennick says he won’t take part in the Parliament House sexual harassment training.

“The threat of being named and shamed is harassment in itself. I won’t be taking advice from anyone who thinks that the best way to get someone to do something is by shaming them.

“I attended the Women’s March for Justice in Canberra earlier this year to express my support for women in the workplace (and in all other places) and to speak out against all forms of harassment.

“If the federal government wants to get serious about helping women, it could look at funding the restoration of maternity wards in regional Queensland, 30 plus of which have been closed down under Labor governments over the last 30 years.”

Alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins welcomed the Parliament House workplace reforms announced on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

The Morrison government announced on Monday face-to-face sexual harassment training would be made mandatory for Coalition ministers and staff.

Ministers who refuse training were warned they could lose their frontbench positions.

The training is optional for backbenchers such as Senator Rinnick, but those who don’t participate will be named and shamed.

The practice was recommended by senior bureaucrat Stephanie Foster in her report into how the federal parliament responds to serious incidents.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister did not respond to questions about whether MPs and senators would face further repercussions for not participating in training.

Scott Morrison has previously said he can’t force parliamentarians to take part.

Greens deputy leader and spokesperson on women Larissa Waters confirmed her party would take part in the training and urged the Prime Minister to make the training mandatory for all parliamentarians.

“Sexual harassment training ought to be mandatory for all parliamentarians, not merely for ministers,“ she told NCA NewsWire.

“That is what Stephanie Foster’s review recommends and it’s what the PM should be doing if he wants to have any chance of convincing women he takes their safety seriously.

“But one-hour sessions alone, mandatory or otherwise, will not create the kind of change in parliament that women are demanding.

“We need comprehensive training, supported by robust complaints processes and real consequences for MPs who continue their bullying and misogynistic behaviour.”

Labor will table a proposal to caucus next week recommending all opposition parliamentarians undertake mandatory training.

Originally published as LNP senator refuses to take part in parliament sexual harassment training