Peta Murphy (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

As with my colleagues, I'm incredibly proud to be part of a government and a parliament that is introducing this code and looking to implement all of the recommendations of the Set the standard report. But I have to be honest: I'm also ashamed and pretty perplexed that we had to do it in the first place. It is extraordinary, really, that we had to have the Sex Discrimination Commissioner do an inquiry into the way people have been treated in political offices and in this parliament and uncover the extent of the horrendous experiences that people have had. It reflects shame on the people who have worked here over the decades that are covered by some of those complaints in Kate Jenkins's report. And I think we have to be really frank and honest about this: it also reflects gender inequality and power imbalance.

Not all of the complaints were experiences from women where the horrendous, bad and illegal behaviour was undertaken by men. Not all of them were, but predominantly they were. Let's be honest about it: it arises most frequently in circumstances where the man is in a position of power and the woman isn't. I think that's why, when this motion was spoken to in the main chamber, almost all of the speakers—who coincidentally were men—emphasised the number of women that are now in this parliament and the number of women that are now in their parties. I think only one of them, the Prime Minister, could actually stand up there and say with great authenticity that he is the leader of a party which has gender equality in the party room. All of those who lead parties where women are now almost equally represented should be proud of that. We're proud of that, and it makes a difference. But it's not enough.

We have to acknowledge in this conversation that what has occurred in this place and what occurs across Australia is behaviour by men towards women which is about an abuse of power or authority or control and which at its heart comes from gender inequality and outdated, wrong stereotypes about the roles of men and women and their relative places in society. I want to put on the record as part of this speech—and I would like men in authority in this place and in this chamber to listen and hear this message—women are not inherently vulnerable. We are not fragile creatures that are asking for protection from men. We don't want protection. We want respect and we want equality.

It is well intentioned, I know, when men talk about protecting women from violence and sexual assault. We don't want to be protected; we want it to stop. And the way it's going to stop is to continue on the path that we are on, thankfully, of understanding that women are autonomous, strong, courageous, flawed individuals who deserve respect and equality in the same way as any man does. When we get there then, hopefully, we aren't going to need codes of behaviour. When we get there, hopefully, we're not going to need to give speeches over and over again about not abusing power and influence or authority, because people who have them will be both men and women; and people who have those positions of power, influence or authority will inherently treat everyone who works for them or with them with the respect that you give to someone who you consider to be another human being, simply that, not someone who you consider to be your equal because others aren't, or someone you consider to be someone you need to protect because they're a bit vulnerable, or not someone that you consider to be your superior, that you need their approval, just someone you consider to be another human being who, therefore, deserves your respect and is equal.

It is just great—I guess that's the word for it—that we are now going to have a code of conduct. When all of the scandals in this place broke years ago that led to this inquiry happening, I agreed with others who said we should have an independent body that can investigate and review allegations against members of this place and that there should be the ability to recommend sanctions. We can look at other models around the world. Ultimately, the parliament as a group of individual parliamentarians, not as members of parties and governments and oppositions, should take on the responsibility of receiving reports from an independent body about allegations of improper, illegal or unacceptable behaviour and vote on what we think should happen to the person who has been found to have committed them. If we're going to set the standard and have a code then we also have to commit to upholding it ourselves, not just in our individual lives but in relation to other people, our colleagues, who are in this place.

The Commonwealth parliamentary workplace guidelines say that people must behave towards each other 'professionally, respectfully and with integrity'. If anyone needed to be told that, it's not clear to me what they're doing here. That's what we have to do: we have to act professionally, respectfully and with integrity. We have to 'Encourage and value diverse perspectives and recognise the importance of a free exchange of ideas.' This next one is absolutely crucial and, again, it really warrants reflecting on why it has to be said: 'Recognise your power, influence or authority and do not abuse them.' Treat the people that you work with, even when you're their boss, as your colleagues. Treat them as people with their own personalities, their own positives, their own challenges, their own skills and attributes. Treat them as people. Recognise that you have power, influence and authority over the people you work with, who are in your office, who are in this place, and don't abuse it. It's as simple as that. Everything else that's in this, which I don't need to read out because other people have, is fundamental to how we should all just conduct ourselves as people.

I want to finish a bit where I started. When we get to a place of gender equality where men and women recognise each other as different but equals, when there are as many women in positions of power as there are men, when staff are young men and young woman, old men and old women, and people from diverse backgrounds who all work together—because this is a magnificent place to work and an important mission—and treat each other as people, that's when, hopefully, we're not going to need any codes of conduct anymore.

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