Parliament workplace safety report launched after Brittany Higgins allegation triggered investigation
Scott Morrison has released a report into Parliament’s workplace culture that the PM has described as “disturbing”.
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Brittany Higgins has urged the Prime Minister to take immediate action in the wake of a damning report into the parliamentary workplace that found it was a “man’s world” where one in three people had experienced sexual harassment.
”I want to thank the many brave people who shared their stories, which contributed to this review,’’ she said.
“I hope all sides of politics not only commit to but implement these recommendations in full.”
The investigation by the Sexual Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, established in the wake of the former Liberal staffer’s allegation she was sexually assaulted in the Defence Minister’s office, interviewed hundreds of current and former staff.
It has found that one in three people in Parliament experienced sexual harassment and 77 per cent witnessed or experienced bullying.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison released the report while praising the courage and bravery of Brittany Higgins in driving a national conversation on the issues included in the document.
“Like anyone who works in this building, I find the statistics that are presented there, of course appalling and disturbing. I wish I found them more surprising,’’ he said.
“But I find them just as appalling.”
It recommends that Parliament works to reduce the mixing of booze at work and that politicians consider boosting female participation with targets.
“This is Parliament. It should set the standard for workplace culture, not the floor of what culture should be,’’ Ms Jenkins’ report states.
Ms Jenkins said her approach to the review was based on ensuring it was “independent, consultative, evidence-based, voluntary, confidential, and trauma-informed”.
It included face-to-face, online and telephone interviews, written submissions, an online survey, targeted focus groups, review of relevant data, legislation, policies, and processes, as well as review and analysis of domestic and international research.
The report found half of all people currently working at Parliament House have experienced at least one incident of bullying, sexual harassment or actual or attempted sexual assault.
“That figure is unacceptably high,’’ Ms Jenkins said.
There were 1,723 individuals and 33 organisations and collectives who contributed to the inquiry.
“We all share in the ownership of the problems that are set out in this report,’’ the Prime Minister said.
“But we all share in implementing solutions as well. And we each have a role to play.”
The Prime Minister, who earlier this year angrily raised a false allegation that a journalist harassed a woman in a toilet before apologising for raising it, said that stress and pressure was no excuse for bad behaviour.
“Similarly as you deal with deadlines and various pressures in your workplace, stressors in workplaces, this is no excuse whatsoever to normalise inappropriate unhealthy and unprofessional behaviour,’’ he said.
“Just because what you do is important and stressful and demanding, (it’s important) to never normalise that behaviour as somehow okay. It’s not and we all need to understand the drivers here.”
Former prime minister Julia Gillard, who established the Global Women’s Leadership Institute where Ms Higgins is now a visiting fellow, urged parliament to embrace a formal code of conduct.
“It’s time to change our federal parliament forever. We need a code of conduct and an effective way of receiving and acting on complaints. The Jenkins review gives us this,” Ms Gillard said
“We need all political parties to work together with urgency and ambition and commit to deliver the bold reforms that are needed.”
There are 25 recommendations in the review, including that the Presiding Officers should convene party leaders and the heads of the parliamentary departments to come together, agree and deliver a joint Statement of Acknowledgment to the Parliament.
“This Statement should acknowledge the harm caused by bullying, sexual harassment, and sexual assault in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces and a commitment to action and shared accountability,’’ the report states.
“To demonstrate institutional leadership to ensure safe and respectful Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces, the Houses of Parliament should: establish a leadership taskforce, with oversight by the Presiding Officers, chaired by an independent expert and supported by an Implementation Group, to oversee the implementation of the recommendations made in this Report. It should have the following responsibilities: developing and communicating an implementation plan with specific time frames defining and communicating common values which can drive cultural change across parliamentary workplaces.”
It also calls for parliamentarians and senior Members of Parliament (Staff) Act employees, including chiefs of staff to regularly engage in regular discussions to set expectations of conduct and champion the Codes of Conduct and create a safe reporting culture, including supporting people who experience misconduct.
To advance gender equality, diversity and inclusion among parliamentarians, parliamentary party leaders should lead and champion a 10-year strategy.
“The experiences of Grace Tame, Brittany Higgins, Chanel Contos and others, as well as a national conversation about consent, have also prompted renewed calls in the Australian context for an end to gendered violence,’’ the report states.
Significant change is taking place across Australian workplaces to prevent and respond to bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault, as demonstrated in the engagement in and response to the Commission’s Respect@Work report of the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces.
A Queensland man has been charged in relation to the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins. He will plead not guilty. The trial is expected to commence in June next year.
Originally published as Parliament workplace safety report launched after Brittany Higgins allegation triggered investigation
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