Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

What my government will continue to focus on is dealing with the substance of the issues that need to be addressed by this parliament and by my government, to ensure that people working in this place, whether they be members, senators or staff members in this place, have access to the counselling support they need and the complaints process. When we achieve that it will be a new high-water mark for people working in this place.

These standards have not been put in place by previous governments. These counselling and support services were not put in place by previous governments when they had the opportunity to do so. We have moved to put those in place and to provide those protections. But more than that, the broader issue is of ensuring that women can be safe in the workplace and that women can be safe more broadly in the community—that they can walk to their own car after leaving a railway station on their way home from work, or so that women can have that feeling of confidence and support when they go to the police to make the complaints so we can see crimes investigated and perpetrators brought to justice.

The next national action plan to support protection against violence against women will ensure that record funding and support are provided, together with the states and territories.

Opposition members interjecting—

Those opposite who interject seem to suggest some allegation of criminal conduct. There has been no suggestion of criminal conduct by my staff at all! The suggestion that there has been so is offensive by the interjections of those opposite. My government will remain focused on providing the support that is needed for women and men in this place, to ensure that they have the support they need when they're placed in situations that are completely unacceptable. We need to focus on fixing the problem. The Labor Party is playing political games in this place. They're seeking to score political points over an issue that is far more important than their political objectives.

See this speech in context