Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, too, would like to thank the member for Macquarie for moving this important motion, and I'd like to take the opportunity to commend the work she's been doing as Special Envoy for the Arts to support the arts and shape government policy in relation to Australia's creative sector. I know she wanted to be here for these features, but she has been called away due to her coughing. I note our strong support for the industry across the parliament, which we saw demonstrated on the weekend with many MPs across the parliament repping their favourite Aussie band for Ausmusic T-Shirt Day. And today, right now, globally recognised Australian artist Thelma Plum is downstairs, performing to some very lucky MPs, senators and staffers.

Of course, you can wholeheartedly support an industry and still acknowledge that there is room for improvement. I do share the member for Macquarie's deep concern about the findings of the Raising their voices report of the independent review into sexual harm, sexual harassment and systemic discrimination in the Australian contemporary music industry. For example, some 55 per cent of respondents alleged they had experienced some form of workplace sexual harassment and sexual harm in their career. Further, almost 80 per cent of respondents said they had experienced some form of everyday sexism during their career—those nasty throwaway lines or gestures or whatever it may be. And just as many—the vast majority being women—said they had experienced workplace bullying. These are issues that many industries and workplaces have been grappling with of late, as the former speaker noted, including our own parliamentary workplace. The music industry is, historically, insecure—contracted, casualised. It's, frankly, a breeding ground for abuse for people who wish to get ahead and are told the only way to do that is to make themselves available sexually. That's got to stop. It's just unacceptable. As the member for Macquarie said earlier, it is totally unacceptable and it just has to stop 'full stop'. All workers, including artists and anybody else who works in the music industry, or any industry at all, have the right to work in an environment free from bullying, free from sexual harassment, free from sexual assault and free from discrimination.

The right to physical and psychological safety at work is enshrined in legislation and international human rights agreements, but we need to take the next step and have it enshrined not just in legislation but in the culture of workplaces. I commend the music industry for its joint statement of acknowledgement, which recognises the harm documented by the review, and for its commitment to implement long-term sustainable change.

The Raising their voices report makes 17 recommendations, which provide a blueprint for the industry to become a global leader prioritising safety, inclusion and respect. That's a very worthy goal, and I certainly hope they get there. The recommendations include the creation of a contemporary music industry cultural reform council to further develop a code of conduct, establishing of an independent safe space for people to confidentially disclose experiences and the creation of awareness campaigns.

I'm proud to be a member of a government that is committed to ending sexual harassment in the workplace and, frankly, proud to be part of a parliament that is recognising the longstanding issues in this place as a workplace and that is finally dealing with them. As we've seen with the Jenkins report, Set the standard, these issues have existed for decades, if not generations. We are recognising that they are real, and they are being dealt with.

Over the past five years one in three people have experienced sexual harassment at work, with women experiencing higher rates of harassment than men. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with a disability and members of the LGBTIQ community are, on average, more likely to experience workplace sexual harassment. Everyone has the right to a safe and respectful workplace, and the fact that workplaces have not been safe or respectful for so many Australians is unacceptable. The Albanese government recently introduced into parliament the Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Bill 2022, delivering on an important election commitment to end sexual harassment at work. The bill implements seven legislative changes recommended by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins that were left unfinished by the former government. There are a range of issues that that goes into, which I won't have time to talk about now.

To conclude, I would like to echo the words of the Prime Minister in his speech in the second reading debate on the bill:

… there are some basic yardsticks by which any civilised society should measure itself. One of those is that everyone has the right to a safe and respectful workplace … The fact that workplaces have not been safe or respectful for so many Australians is simply unacceptable …

This government is acting to help put an end to sexual harassment in Australian workplaces.

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