Federal election 2022: Tanya Plibersek lashes Jane Hume’s ‘mean girls’ reference

Tanya Plibersek says she is ‘grieving a colleague’ after Jane Hume referenced the ‘unfair bullying’ of Kimberley Kitching by female colleagues.

Tanya Plibersek says Labor will investigate investigate bullying and harassment claims. Picture: Colin Murty

Minister for women’s economic security Jane Hume and opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek have clashed this morning as the “mean girls” scandal was brought up on the Today Show.

Ms Plibersek, who accused Scott Morrison and his party of not properly investigating claims of sexual assault, said the Labor Party would properly investigate bullying and harassment claims.

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“If there’s a complaint it will be thoroughly independently investigated,” she said.

However, Senator Hume cut across with a comment about the late Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching.

“Hang on, Tanya. Kimberly died,’’ Senator Hume said. “She can’t make a complaint.’’

Ms Kitching had made a report to Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles directly about the “unfair bullying” at the hands of “the mean girls… Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher and Kristina Keneally, and it wasn’t responded to,” Minister Hume said.

“That’s appalling behaviour.”

Liberal Senator Jane Hume.

Kimberley Kitching.

Ms Plibersek responded, saying Senator Hume’s comments were in “very poor taste’’.

“We are grieving a colleague, Jane,” Ms Plibersek said.

“I am too. She was my friend,” Senator Hume replied.

Backing Scott Morrison’s investment in women over the past three years, the Liberal Minister called the Prime Minister “a combination of affable and engaged and empathetic.”

Ms Plibersek, however, denied that the Coalition had performed well when it came to women, saying “this government’s achievement for women is we’ve actually gone backwards.”

“Under this government, Australia’s gone from being the 24th most equal country in the world for women to the 50th most equal country in the world for women,” she said.