No bullying inside Liberals, says Scott Morrison

Scott Morrison has said he does not believe there is bullying inside the Liberal Party.

Liberal MP Julia Banks. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison has said he does not believe there is bullying inside the Liberal Party, despite hearing complaints from party colleagues Lucy Gichuhi and Julia Banks about their alleged treatment during last month’s leadership spill.

The issue, which was seized upon by Labor in parliament this week, barely rated a mention in the Liberal partyroom yesterday, despite a pledge from Minister for Women Kelly O’Dwyer that the Prime Minister would set the standard on bullying.

Liberal MP Warren Entsch said there was “minimum” mention of bullying in the partyroom meeting but “the message was there”.

“A decision has been made (that) these things need to be dealt with comprehensively, we need to be seen to be doing things and we need to not be shouting across the corridors,” he said.

Craig Laundy, a workplace minister in the Turnbull government who has recommended an official process such as an internal panel to deal with bullying complaints, said bullying, intimidation and quotas for women were not discussed in the partyroom.

Ms O’Dwyer and Liberal Party federal director Andrew Hirst yesterday could not tell The Australian whether any cabinet minister had responded to her call in March to match her $50,000 contribution to a fighting fund for female MPs in marginal seats.

Ms O’Dwyer used an International Women’s Day event in March to announce that she was establishing the “Enid Lyons Fighting Fund” to help women in marginal seats campaign, and wrote to all her colleagues urging them to match the money pledged from her blue-ribbon Melbourne-based branch of the party.

Then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull also promised $50,000, while female cabinet ministers Julie Bishop and Michaelia Cash pledged to contribute.

Ms Bishop last night confirmed she had given a “first tranche” of $25,000 from her Perth branch and would give the remaining $25,000. She said she expected the task of raising the second $25,000 would be more difficult, given she was now on the backbench. “I understand that it’s only Kelly, Malcolm and me,” Ms Bishop said.

A spokeswoman for Senator Cash said the Small Business Minister still intended to contribute but was yet to discuss the matter with Ms O’Dwyer.

Ms O’Dwyer’s spokesman could not confirm whether any cabinet colleagues had contributed: “The matter is being ­handled by the party.”

Mr Hirst said donations to the women’s fighting fund were a “confidential campaign matter”.

Nick Cater, executive director of Liberal Party think-tank the Menzies Research Centre, confirmed a dinner last month to mark 75 years since Lyons gave her maiden speech in parliament had raised $5000 for the fund.

The Prime Minister told yesterday’s joint Coalition partyroom meeting that everyone should do their job “professionally” and as the Australian people expected.

Senator Gichuhi said she spoke to Mr Morrison about bullying on Monday after she threatened to name and shame colleagues. Indicating she had backed down from that threat, she said he had now “taken up the issue”.

Additional reporting: Greg Brown