Barbs fly at house access inaction

A new reporting regime to record all after-hours access to Parliament House and MPs’ ­offices could be introduced.

Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: AAP

A new reporting regime to record all after-hours access to Parliament House and MPs’ ­offices could be introduced after former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins was allegedly raped by a colleague inside the building’s ministerial wing.

Political barbs were exchanged between Labor and the government after the Department of Parliamentary Services told a Senate estimates hearing on Monday that it had not changed any of its processes for responding to incidents at parliament since the alleged sexual ­assault in March 2019.

DPS secretary Rob Stefanic confirmed the absence of policy changes under questioning from Labor’s finance spokeswoman, Katy Gallagher, but Senate president Scott Ryan said several options were under consideration to better monitor access by pass holders, including a “regular reporting regime”.

“We have asked DPS to explore whether … we should start recording people who come into the building after hours … (and) whether the system is capable of providing a regular report to senators and members if they wish about who accessed their office,” Senator Ryan said.

“If, for example, I said I want anyone who comes into my office after nine o’clock on a weeknight or on a weekend … we might not be able to do it in real time (but) we may be able to do it in a reporting way.”

Senator Gallagher expressed frustration DPS had changed nothing in how it responded to incidents in the building.

Ms Higgins was allegedly raped in the early hours of March 23, 2019, after she and a former Liberal staffer went into then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds’s office following a night out drinking.

“A young woman was allegedly raped in this building a couple of years ago, and I’m hearing from you guys that there are no changes that need to happen to the way that this building is managed or security is provided or red flags are watched or whatever,” Senator Gallagher said.

“You are saying to me nothing needs to change.”

Anthony Albanese in question time asked Scott Morrison why “more than two years after the reported sexual assault of Brittany Higgins in this building there have been no changes in the way this building responds to serious incidents?”

The Prime Minister said a new counselling service was “being well used by staff members of this place, when they need to, and by members of parliament and others who are seeking support from those services”.

He said he was “expecting very, very shortly” a report from Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet deputy secretary Stephanie Foster into complaints procedures at Parliament House. “That will then be raised with cabinet … and I look forward to engaging with the opposition on the establishment of an independent complaints process.” He also said there was “significant work” under way by PM&C to ensure an independent complaints process won’t have to wait until year’s end.