‘Actions matter more’: Plibersek questions PM’s women’s summit

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek has questioned whether a summit addressing key issues facing women would lead to change given the federal government had failed to act on existing recommendations.

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek has questioned whether a summit addressing key issues facing women would lead to change given the federal government had failed to act on existing recommendations.

The comment follows revelations the government plans to convene a national summit within months to “set new goals” to prevent violence against women.

However, the move is being viewed with cynicism given the government has been sitting on fifty five recommendations since January last year on how to improve women’s safety as contained in the Respect@Work report.

Questioned summit.... Tanya Plibersek. Picture: Getty

While Ms Plibersek said she would await to hear more details about the summit.

“Words matter, but actions matter more. It’s hard to have confidence in anything Scott Morrison’s proposes, when for a year he’s had a report sitting on his desk about how to help stop workplace sexual harassment, and he hasn’t done anything serious to implement any of the fifty five recommendations,” Ms Plibersek said.

“We already know so much about what needs to change. These aren’t new problems. There are decades of reports sitting on the Prime Minister’s desk about women’s safety.

“So many recommendations are there. So much of the work has been done. What we really lack is a government willing to act on them.”

Under attack... Prime Minister Scott Morrison

In 2007, Labor began work on the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children.

Since then, there have been reports by the Family Law Council, the Law Reform Commission, the Human Rights Commission, Ms Plibersek said.

There have also been state-led reviews and Royal Commissions along with parliamentary committee reports “not to the mention the internal reviews into Liberal Party culture”, she said.

In January last year, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dr Kate Jenkins handed the government the Respect@Work report, which found workplace sexual harassment to be “prevalent and pervasive”.

Protesters attend a rally against sexual violence and gender inequality in Sydney this month.

“It occurs in every industry, in every location and at every level, in Australian workplaces,” it said.

“Australians, across the country, are suffering the financial, social, emotional, physical and psychological harm associated with sexual harassment.

“This is particularly so for women.”

A Canberra source said Dr Jenkins was “frustrated” at the slow pace the government was taking in addressing the recommendations of her report.

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