Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the minister. The women of Australia are tired of waiting. The women of Australia are tired of fighting. The women of Australia are tired of being patronised and patted on the head when it comes to sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace. Labor supports this suspension of standing orders in order to debate the member's private member's bill because we think it's well past time that members of parliament, members of the judiciary, are treated in the same way as people working in every other workplace around Australia. We believe it is well past time that members of parliament and members of the judiciary face the same scrutiny, face the same rules, as people in every workplace in Australia. It just seems so basic, doesn't it—that you should be safe at work and safe at home and safe walking down the street, in the evening, safe in your community and safe wherever you are? Yet we know the statistics for Australian women. We know that the system is stacked against victims of sexual assault. We know that the system is stacked against victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. We know that our laws don't adequately protect Australian women from domestic violence. It is beyond time that we acted. That's why we support the suspension of the standing orders today.

More than a year ago our sex discrimination commissioner presented to the government a report with 55 recommendations to better protect people in the workplace from sexual harassment. In more than a year no substantial gains have been made on those 55 recommendations. Why does it take so long? What is the point of doing inquiry after inquiry if nothing actually changes? Why would our staff have confidence to come forward to the next Jenkins inquiry when the last Jenkins inquiry hasn't been acted upon? That's why we support the suspension of standing orders today. Until there is action, victims of sexual harassment in our workplace will wonder: 'Why should I put my hand up? Why should I raise my voice? Why should I go through all the excruciating rawness that coming forward and making a complaint entails for too many victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence if nothing changes because of my testimony?'

I'm grateful to the minister for giving me time to make a few remarks. I say to the member for Warringah: we are absolutely supportive of this being debated in this parliament now because the time for words is over. It is time for action. It's no longer time for words.

We want to make sure that our staff in this workplace are protected. Until people who work in the building that is the beating heart of the Australian democracy are safe how can we suggest for a moment that retail assistants, hospitality workers, bus drivers, factory workers, first-year medical interns and young women on their first appointment in the Defence Force are safe? If the people in the beating heart of our democracy are not safe from sexual harassment in the workplace, how can we convince those women—and some men too—in workplaces around Australia that they can be safe and that we have their interests at heart? How can we convince them that we get it if we're not prepared right here to enact the recommendations that the sex discrimination commissioner made to this government more than a year ago?

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