Akerman: Police – not politicians – should be first port of call for sexual abuse complaint

Justice should be the goal, not political vendettas, if the public is to trust politicians, writes Piers Akerman.

Brittany Higgins, Lidia Thorpe and Amanda Stoker – three women who have made allegations of sexual abuse, ranging from rape to groping, occurring in Parliament House.

While all the claims are serious, what separates these women are their responses to the alleged abuse.

Former parliamentary staffer Higgins, we know now, did not report her alleged assault to the police – or even parliamentary authorities – at the first possible occasion. This fact came out during the abandoned trial of the man she accused of rape, co-worker Bruce Lehrmann.

Instead, she shared her thoughts about her claims with friends in the first instance, then other contacts and, shortly after, with media personalities Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons.

Her go-to political champions were senators Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong. Further, after gaming the political and publicity scenarios, including conversations about a book deal, she finally lodged an official complaint after her interview with Channel 10’s The Project received mass publicity.

Senator Lidia Thorpe addresses the Senate following her allegation that Liberal Senator David Van sexually assaulted her at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Nonetheless, Labor, which did not hold back in weaponising her claims during the torrid election campaign against the Morrison Liberal government, agreed to a monetary settlement when it took office.

Liberals – including her ex-boss, former defence industry minister Linda Reynolds and another senator, Michaelia Cash – were precluded from providing input into the claims negotiations.

Senator Thorpe, who has perceived problems following accepted parliamentary protocols, offering a bastardised version of the oath of allegiance and standing to take the oath with a raised clenched fist, also failed to follow the established conventions regarding the reporting of allegations of sexual abuse.

Former Senator Amanda Stoker was satisfied with the mediation process after complaining that David Van had twice touched her bottom. Picture: David Clark

After an outburst in the Senate with accusations against Victorian Liberal senator David Van, the independent activist first withdrew her remarks and then later repeated them. Van was also accused by Stoker, a former senator, of twice touching her bottom, which she reported to a colleague, and conferred with Van about in the company of others, all on the record.

Satisfied with the mediation process and securing a promise that such activity would not reoccur, Stoker moved on.

When another allegation was made to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton late Thursday, he immediately suspended Van from the Liberals’ partyroom, pending an investigation. After a further allegation surfaced on Friday, he suggested Van quit.

Van has, for his part, denied wrongdoing, and declared that his “good reputation has been wantonly savaged”.

There is another group of women who have, in the past, made much of their concerns about women’s safety – the teals, who enjoyed adoring publicity from well-heeled feminist sympathisers during the election campaign.

Senator Katy Gallagher. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Senator Penny Wong. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Searches failed to reveal any position taken by their more prominent members during the current brouhaha.

Perhaps that’s because Labor’s Gallagher and Wong, two of the three “mean girls” named by late senator Kimberley Kitching, have been damaged after making unsubstantiated claims against Reynolds.

After initially denying they had been made aware of the Higgins’ matter, they now acknowledge they did know of the allegations when they attacked Reynolds during an estimates hearing.

Despite Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s repeated claims, Labor’s hands are not clean.

They haven’t protected women – if they are Liberals – and the silence of the teals speaks volumes about their empty claim to uphold integrity.

Whether in or out of parliament, it should be obvious to all that the first port of call for any sexual abuse complainant must be the police.

As Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce stressed on Thursday: “Allegations are serious, some are dumb and dangerous, but what you’ve got to do is take these to police.”

Justice should be the goal, not political vendettas, if the public is to trust politicians.