Lucy Turnbull and Therese Rein speak out in call for sexual harassment body at Parliament

The businesswomen and former prime ministers’ wives said they were “fed up” with the “blokey” culture in Canberra as they joined calls for a review.

Lucy Turnbull and Therese Rein have declared themselves “fed up” with the “blokey culture” in Canberra as they joined the call for an independent body at Parliament House to review sexual harassment complaints.

The businesswomen and former prime ministers’ wives expressed disappointment at the risks of harassment and violence facing young women building their careers in the Australian government.

“I find myself incredulous that the issues that I and my friends were facing when we left university in the early 80s and entered the workplace, that those issues remain exactly the same now,” Ms Rein, entrepreneur and wife of Kevin Rudd, told ABC Afternoon Briefing.

“It’s not better. And it’s a huge disappointment and people are fed up with it.”

Ms Turnbull, former Sydney mayor and Malcolm Turnbull’s wife, told the program that the “very blokey” culture at Parliament created an environment “fraught with danger” for young women.

Lucy Turnbull has spoken out on women in politics. Picture: Adam Yip

Therese Rein said she was ‘disappointed’ at the lack of progress for women. Picture: Mick Tsikas

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“Everybody there’s under a lot of pressure and there is a tendency to let off steam through drinking,” she said. “So, it’s a situation that’s fraught with risk and fraught with danger.”

Ms Rein said that women who felt scared and were sexually harassment would not want to stay in government, which would affect gender equality in country’s leadership.

“If women are in a position where they are sexually harassed and feel afraid, then they’re not going to be able to be at their best and they’re not going to stay,” she said.

“And we want equal representation for women at all levels of government in Australia.”

Both women said they supported Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ call for an independent complaints body to support staff at Parliament House, and that submissions to a review now underway should be confidential.

Former and current staff have been pushing for assurances that their submissions to the independent inquiry into workplace culture won’t be made public or accessible through freedom of information requests. The proposed legislation passed the Senate on Thursday and is expected to go to the House of Representatives next week.

Both Ms Rein and Ms Turnbull signed an open letter from Brittany Higgins and a group of 70 current and former political figures and staffers demanding the parliamentary review be confidential.

RELATED: Staffers’ stories to remain confidential

Ms Rein tweeted on Wednesday that in 2021 in Australia “how can it be true that the Nation’s Parliament is much safer and more pleasant for young men to go to work, than it is for young women? But that is clearly the case. This is not acceptable.”

She said it was also unacceptable for any workplace, street, home or public place to be “comfortable and respectful for men and not for women”.

The review into workplace culture was prompted by Ms Higgins, a former Liberal staffer, alleging she was raped by a colleague in the parliamentary office of Linda Reynolds in 2019.

Her claim was followed a historic rape allegation levelled against Attorney-General Christian Porter, which he vehemently denied.

Female Labor staffers have also aired anonymous allegations outlining a toxic workplace culture within the party.

Ms Higgins told thousands of March 4 Justice protesters outside parliament on Monday there was a “confronting sense of banality” over sexual assault in the Australian community.

“My story was on the front page for the sole reason that it is a painful reminder to women that, if it can happen in Parliament House, it can truly happen anywhere,” she said.