Julie Bishop condemns ‘culture of bullying’

Julie Bishop says Canberra’s bullying culture wouldn’t be tolerated at any other workplace in her first speech since quitting as foreign minister.

Julie Bishop pictured arriving at the 2018 Womens Weekly Women of the Future lunch held at Quay restaurant at The Rocks. Picture: Richard Dobson

A federal parliament workplace culture of bullying, intimidation, harassment and coercion would not be tolerated in any other workplace in Australia, Julie Bishop said yesterday.

The former foreign minister and deputy Liberal leader, who ­resigned her roles as a result of the events last month that saw Scott Morrison replace Malcolm ­Turnbull as prime minister, said she had witnessed appalling ­behaviour.

“The kind of behaviour that 20 years ago, when I was the managing partner of a law firm of 200 ­employees, I would never have ­accepted.

“Yet in parliament it is the norm. And we are adults, grown people we have to take responsibility for our personal behaviour. Every single one of us.”

“I have seen and witnessed and experienced some appalling ­behaviour in parliament. And when a feisty amazing woman like Julia Banks says ‘this environment is not for me’, don’t say ‘toughen up princess’, say ‘enough is enough’,” she said.

The West Australian MP was applauded as she addressed an Australian Women’s Weekly Women of the Future awards lunch, and the young ­finalists and winners inspired her to have hope for the future.

“We must defend and strengthen our institution and we must treat our parliament with more ­respect and unacceptable workplace practices are the responsibility of us all.

“I say to my party, the Liberal Party, it is not acceptable for us to have in 2018 less than 25 per cent of our parliamentarians as ­female.”

The Liberal Party contributed to a fall in rankings from 15th in the world in terms of female ­parliamentary representation in 1999, to 50th today, Ms Bishop said.

The adversarial nature of ­parliament had an impact on the ­political process, she said.

“I am not condemning or condoning any particular individual or behaviour. I have to go back there on Monday,” Ms Bishop told the mostly female audience.

“You really have to ask yourself are we getting the best out of our politicians in this environment,” Ms Bishop said, who also recalled great acts of compassion from other members of parliament ­during her career as a politician.