Anti-bullying and harassment training for all MPs to be mandatory under Albanese code of conduct

Training to deal with sexual assault, bullying and harassment in Parliament House will be mandatory for all politicians and their staff under a new code of conduct.

Mandatory training will be on the agenda for next week’s meeting of the bipartisan Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce

Training to deal with sexual assault, bullying and harassment in Parliament House will be mandatory for all politicians and their staff under a new code of conduct by the Albanese government.

It will bring the parliamentary standards in line with reviews conducted by the deputy secretary of the prime minister’s department, Stephanie Foster, and sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins, in a bid to improve the toxic workplace culture.

Government sources confirmed to The Australian mandatory training was on the agenda for next week’s meeting of the bipartisan Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce, when the 47th parliament meets in Canberra for the first time since the election.

The optional one-hour Safe and Respectful Workplace training was introduced after a Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins went public with allegations that she had been raped in the Parliament House office of a then minister.

It was a key recommendation in the Foster review, along with a public register, so voters could see whether their local member had attended. Jenkins also recommended an annual training program, after she found politicians and staffers had little or no idea what they should do if they were bullied, sexually harassed or assaulted.

The training sessions — delivered by PricewaterhouseCoopers as part of a $2.4m contract — ran from late September to March this year.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison said it would be mandatory for ministers and government staff, and that he expected other politicians and their staff to follow suit.

However, only 111 out of the 151 lower house MPs and 71 out of 76 senators in the previous parliament completed the course, according to the public register.

A number of politicians purposely chose not to participate. A spokesman for Pauline Hanson claimed “she’s too old to sexually harass anyone”, when asked why the One Nation leader would not be attending.

Labor announced the training would be mandatory for its politicians and staff in a press release last year and called for “bullying and harassment training to be mandatory for all parliamentarians”. Katy Gallagher, Don Farrell and Tanya Plibersek said it was “important” that the training be “comprehensive and fit for purpose and not simply a tick-a-box compliance exercise” by the Morrison government.

A spokesman for the Department of Finance confirmed the training “continues to be mandatory for government staff” and any incoming or returning politicians and their staff can volunteer to attend one of the PricewaterhouseCoopers sessions, which are yet to be scheduled.

Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie said it should be part of the induction for all new politicians and their staff, adding it should be compulsory for returning MPs.

Ralph Babet, the incoming United Australia Party senator for Victoria, said he planned to sign up to the training and was under the impression it was already a requirement.

Liberal senator Jane Hume said “ensuring that all staff and parliamentarians understand how to maintain a safe and respectful workplace is a key part of responding to the Foster and Jenkins Reviews”.

“Following the Foster Report, the Coalition put in place arrangements for government staff to undertake workplace training as part of their employment,” Senator Hume said. “The House and Senate also established registers for parliamentarians to record their training. There is no reason why this wouldn't continue for our staff and parliamentarians in Opposition.

Deputy Nationals leader Perin Davey said the training was a “good thing”, and politicians should not have to wait for a ministerial appointment to complete a customised course.

Greens senator leader Larissa Waters said she wanted the government to “get moving on a strong and enforceable code of conduct”, including strategies to make the building a more diverse and inclusive place that better represents the community.

“With so many new MPs and staff heading to Canberra, it‘s critical that staff have confidence that their workplace is safe, not the toxic boys club it has been,” Senator Waters told The Australian.

“Set the Standards made a clear recommendation that MPs, senators and staff have mandatory anti-harassment training on respectful workplace behaviour. The Greens have implemented that and other parties must do the same.

“Sexual harassment and workplace safety training should be mandatory, ongoing, and delivered by experts, not a tick-a-box exercise.

“MPs must also update the public register so people considering working for or meeting with them know whether they understand what‘s required for a respectful and inclusive workplace.”