Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—It is 10 years since a group of Liberal MPs, including the then Liberal Leader of the Opposition and now senior minister and another MP who has just been appointed to the Fair Work Commission, stood in front of unmissable placards and banners that were clearly misogynistic and sexist in nature and directed against the first woman to be Prime Minister of this country, Julia Gillard. It was a low watermark in politics in the country that senior members of the Liberal Party and their leader could not be aware of the violent and sexist language they were endorsing 10 years ago today. These were not signs opportunistically propped up behind unaware elected members. It was a set-up for those Liberal members to stand up in front of and to endorse. Even if you disagree that it was a set-up, there was nothing stopping members walking away and distancing themselves from such vile sentiments.

The sexualised and violent attacks on former Prime Minister Julia Gillard continued for her entire term as Prime Minister and beyond. All Prime Ministers of this country should rightly be subject to scrutiny and criticism but not the extraordinary treatment that was levelled at the first Prime Minister who was a woman. A popular commentator, indeed, called for our Prime Minister to be put in a chaff bag and thrown into the sea—such violent words to suggest a Prime Minister be drowned in the ocean. What we do here sets a tone for the nation. What happened that day 10 years ago out the front of this place set a tone for the nation.

It is two years ago to the day that Brittany Higgins was allegedly raped in the office of the defence minister of the Commonwealth of Australia. I acknowledge the courage of Ms Higgins in coming forward so publicly. What happened to her two years ago in this place will affect her life forever. Because of her brave choices since, that traumatic event—and events since—should change this place forever. It was staggering to hear on Four Corners last night that a security guard who witnessed the events two years ago has not been spoken to by police or anyone else, besides an investigative journalist. How can that be?

Last night we heard of the latest degrading of this place and the women who work here by male staff. This is behaviour designed to humiliate, embarrass and degrade women—the elected members and their staff and all the other women who work here. It has been filmed and shared among male staff of the Liberal Party. What do these men think of the women here, women everywhere and women who employ them? What led to this kind of behaviour?

We all know culture starts from the top. It's all about a culture of entitlement, that it's acceptable to stand in front of signs and endorse sexism, misogyny and violence. It's a culture of entitlement that sees a young woman lured to allegedly be raped in a minister's office and demonstrations of entitlement and warped power that see a group of men share videos of themselves masturbating on a woman's desk. I haven't even got to the degradation of the prayer and meditation room in this place.

I pay tribute to the staff that today took a stand and reclaimed the meditation room. It reminds me of my time at uni when we went on marches to 'reclaim the night' because women didn't feel safe walking alone at night. So I congratulate those staff that went up to the prayer and meditation room today and took back that room for what it should be used for: peaceful reflection on the events of the day. There was bipartisan support among the staff and press gallery in this place for the action of solidarity with all women that feel assaulted by the latest vile revelations of behaviour designed to humiliate and threaten women. I fully support the action of my staff member Ms Georgia Tree and other staff members who brought together this group in solidarity to reclaim their workplace and demand that it be safe and women be free from such ongoing humiliation. It is important to note that it is an act of solidarity for people to gather in support of the women in this place, given what we have heard.

As the Prime Minister has said, it's been more focused over the last five weeks, but people in this place have been talking about violence against women, sexism and misogyny in this place for many years. I acknowledge the work of the member for Newcastle, who every year lists the names of women who have been killed by partners or former partners. Every single year, the member for Newcastle does this; it's a heart-wrenching thing to watch.

These things have been talked about in this place for many years but, clearly, no-one has been listening—or not listening enough. I call on the government to actually take action to make sure that this kind of thing is never seen again. It is humiliating to women, it must end and it must end now.

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