Scott Morrison must deal with twin threat in Jenkins report

Scott Morrison has fully embraced the report into the work culture, sexual abuse and bullying at Parliament House, and expressed his personal view of the “appalling findings” as he moved to adopt the 28 recommendations.

But the Prime Minister has done everything he can to ensure the report and the findings is not just seen as a judgment on the Liberal and National parties and a responsibility of just the government to respond.

There is a great danger for all political parties if they are seen to be seeking to blame their opponents rather than accept the findings of the report, but there is a specific problem for Morrison and the Coalition because of the campaign accusing the government of not caring for women and not having enough female representatives.

Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Joel Carrett

So, there is a twin threat to Morrison inherent in this report and he must deal with both.

Morrison has told parliament there is no place for the behaviour revealed in the report. He has urged all the political parties to work together to change the work culture of parliament, and improve the ability of MPs and Senators to act as “employers” within a framework and with attitudes that already exist in workplaces elsewhere – private enterprise and public service alike.

Part of Morrison’s public appeal is for any legislation necessary to implement the recommendations to be passed by all political parties ‘sitting around the table’, even allowing for the limited parliamentary sittings before the election.

Anthony Albanese and Labor, who have previously grilled Morrison and his ministers over their knowledge of the initial case which triggered the report, were quick to ensure the opposition too was not seen to be politicising such a sensitive and wide-ranging issue.

Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ report into Parliament House culture revealed that power imbalances and lack of accountability were key drivers of the widespread sexual harassment experienced by political staffers across all parties.

The inquiry found that more than one in three staffers (33 per cent) who participated in the review had been sexually harassed and made 28 recommendations including establishing a new code of conduct for federal MPs.

Jenkins went further beyond the ‘bubble’ of Canberra and recommended political leaders set gender targets for the election of more women in the parties.

“We heard that power imbalances and the misuse of power was one of the primary drivers of bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault,” she said.

One in three parliamentary staffers have been harassed, according to the Jenkins review.

For Morrison the issue of the Coalition’s so-called ‘problem with women’ goes beyond the inquiry into sexual abuse and bullying which he has of course sought to deal with immediately and fully. There was no delay in releasing the report and in committing to adopting recommendations and submitting legislation.

The Opposition Leader’s bipartisan beginning to parliamentary question time was evidence of Labor’s endorsement of the report and offer of support.

But, Morrison knows Labor will return to the theme of the Coalition’s problem with women and is pre-empting the campaign as best he can by repeating his historic record high of female representation in his cabinet, the existence of Liberal targets for female MPs and enthusiastic support for Jenkins’ report.

While Morrison is appalled at the findings of the parliamentary inquiry and Albanese is genuinely backing change, there will still be a political campaign which hinges on women in politics all the way to and through the election campaign next year, whether the recommendations from the Jenkins report are legislated or not.

Politics continues to operate on multiple levels.