Bombshell parliament workplace report detailing sex assault allegations ‘not surprising’, Butler says

A top Minister has made a grim call on a parliamentary workplace report that detailed allegations of sexual assault and stalking in the workplace.

Brittany Higgins said the report was “confronting” but “not surprising”. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

A top minister in the Albanese government has said a bombshell report from the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) detailing 30 allegations of sexual assault and other serious misconduct is “not surprising”.

The report, made public on November 4, says the service managed 339 cases in its first nine months of operation, from October 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.

These cases, from across parliament, included 30 reports of rape/sexual assault, assault, sexual harassment, harassment, stalking or intimidation, and 33 reports of bullying.

Asked to comment on the data, Health Minister Mark Butler told Sky News Agenda it was “really concerning”, but “not entirely surprising”.

A new report has revealed in the first nine months of a new parliamentary workplace support service operating, 30 allegations of serious misconduct were made. Picture: Newswire/Gary Ramage

“It’s really concerning. But as many who’ve worked in parliament or around parliament for a long time, perhaps, have said: it’s not entirely surprising,” he said.

“This is a workplace that really does need to lift its standards. And I think putting that process or that structure in place is an important first step.

“People need to be held accountable for poor behaviour, whether it’s MPs, staff, employees at Parliament House.

“This process is starting to work, but I think this report really concerningly shows that parliament still has a way to go”.

Former political staffer Brittany Higgins, whose rape allegation against her colleague Bruce Lehrmann and further advocacy work around the issue was the catalyst for the independent review that resulted in the establishment of the PWSS, echoed his comments.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the report showed parliament “has a way to go” in terms of workplace safety. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“It’s a confronting figure but sadly not completely surprising for those who have worked in Parliament House,” she told NewsWire.

“While the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service and the joint committee on parliamentary standards have been significant developments, there is still work to be done.

“Parties across the political spectrum have continued to publicly and privately deal with serious workplace incidents with varied success.

Valid questions remain about whether perpetrators are being held to account and if government employees are being appropriately supported.”

Lehrmann faced trial in the ACT Supreme Court in 2022 after pleading not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent.

The trial was abandoned due to juror misconduct and the Director of Public Prosecutions dropped the charge and plans for a retrial due to concerns for Ms Higgins’ welfare.

Lehrmann was later found by the Federal Court, on the civil standard of the balance of probabilities, to have raped Ms Higgins. He is appealing that decision and has always denied any wrongdoing.

According to the report, more than 50 per cent of the complaints made to the PWSS came from political staffers, with a further 12 per cent from department staff and 17 per cent from senators or members of parliament.

The PWSS was established after Brittany Higgins’ allegation she had been raped in Parliament House by former colleague Bruce Lehrmann. He denies the allegation. Picture: NewsWire/ Adam Yip

Ms Higgins’ allegation sparked a major review of Parliamentary workplace culture and safety. She said the PWSS was a “significant development” but there was more to be done. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

The complaints do not all necessarily relate to incidents within parliament, with people working in parliament able to access the service over a personal incident unrelated to their job or colleagues.

Friends and colleagues can also make reports on behalf of others.

The report stipulates while the number of reports of serious misconduct is high, it is “likely very few of those matters would actually be allegations of rape”.

“The sexual assault percentage may appear to be high because support staff take a trauma informed approach, and record incidents as described by the client,” the report says.

“People use the expression ‘sexual assault’ to describe a wide range of conduct, from feeling uncomfortable about how a person looked at them to what would be a traditional use of the word rape.

“It is likely that very few of those matters would actually be allegations of rape. Those that are, could include matters also reported to the Police, Sex Discrimination Commissioner and would include matters that predate the current and previous term of parliament.”