Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The standard you walk past is the standard you accept, and that has never been truer than for this building. How can we expect workplaces around the country to be safe and supported if we can't uphold standards here? For me, this issue is particularly pertinent. In my electorate of Lingiari, we have a range of complex workplaces, particularly out bush. Women and, indeed, all our workers, deserve to feel safe, supported and encouraged.

I've worked in a whole range of industries across a career that has been many decades in the making. I was just listening to my colleague talking about what former prime minister Julia Gillard had gone through. I remember coming into parliament in the Northern Territory as the new member for Arafura; it was such a joyous occasion in that, for the first time since self-government, we had a female chief minister. Not only do I feel proud of that time; standing side by side with Clare Martin, who was our first chief minister in the whole time since self-government in the Northern Territory, I remember being quite shocked at the bullying and the boorish behaviour of people, with the Chief Minister wanting to change the culture of how politics was seen in the Northern Territory. There was a cowboy attitude—and I'm not being disrespectful to anyone—and just the way she was treated.

I remember working in some of those industries and dealing with former chief ministers from the CLP government and seeing the difference in how they were treated versus how Clare, as the first female Chief Minister, was treated. In going to many meetings, not just as a minister in the Northern Territory government but as a member, people would be turning to see whether there was an adviser with me or looking at me as if I were the adviser, not the member. They were just not recognising my role at all and were putting that down.

As someone brought up in a household of 11 children, my parents had always been at pains to 'treat people how you want to be treated', and that was brought home to me. My mother was a very strict Catholic, so there was the Catholic upbringing and teachings. My father believed in a strong education. He didn't have much, but one of the things he did say to the 11 of us was, 'I'm go to make sure you get a good education,' so you would be able to work that out.

Running many organisations in the Northern Territory, from the Top End to the Centre, at every moment the safety of people who worked with me was paramount, and that included not just female staff but also male staff. I know that people's workplaces can affect their entire lives. More than that, as a leader, I had an obligation to those around me and to those who looked after me for safety, so if I wanted that I had to replicate that. A workplace is not simply a place for you to go and get paid; it's a place that you draw meaning from and it's a place where you're meant to feel valued and that you're making a contribution, and nowhere is that truer than in this parliament.

Since coming to federal parliament, I have reflected on the differences between what I saw in the Northern Territory, or the state parliament, and coming into this parliament, and seeing the differences in my role as a representative. The member for Durack and I often debate whose electorate is bigger—Durack or Lingiari—but Lingiari is so culturally diverse, from the pastoral areas to the urban centres. There are many workplaces amongst that diversity, and, in my role in this parliament, I have a responsibility back to them.

I see this parliament as having a responsibility to its workers, to the people who support us as parliamentarians, but we also have a responsibility to set the standard for all workplaces across the country. Parliament, like workplaces in my electorate, will never be a conventional workplace; the bells ringing late in the afternoon, a dash to the chamber, is a constant reminder of that, yet this place must be a safe, inclusive and accepting place to work. There are no excuses. There is no accepting anything less. The only reason we can do our jobs as members of parliament is that we have an army of workers to help us—our staff, the clerks, the security guards, the baristas, the drivers, the cooks, the chamber attendants and many more who work in this building to make our lives just a little bit easier. I think we have an obligation: staff make our lives easier, and we have a duty of care to everyone who works in this building.

In speaking on this issue, I think particularly of the women who have worked in this building before me, juggling babies on one arm and binders of documents on the other. I think of the staff dedicating hours upon hours of their lives to the cause of Australian democracy. I also reflect on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members, particularly Indigenous women, and the emotions this place must have stirred. I think of women who deserve to be safe in this place, whether or not they have a different view from others. We need to appreciate that we are not always going to agree. We need to accept and respect that people have their own opinions. It is these thoughts that we must keep close to our hearts as we walk around this building. We must and we will do better.

We cannot avoid the gendered aspect of this. The report is not like others this place has received. It speaks directly to the behaviour of our representatives and their staff. It speaks to the heart of the very operating environment of decisions and policymaking. A code of conduct is not simply a set of words or a piece of paper to sign; it has to be a commitment to change the way our democracy works and to call on all workplaces to be better.

I want to acknowledge the work of the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards, particularly that of the chair, who I have come to see as not only a friend but also a mentor, and that's the member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon. Changing the culture of this place takes a big effort and strong leadership. I also want to thank the Prime Minister for his leadership on this issue. His speech yesterday was a powerful one. Setting the standard is the responsibility of all of us, and we must all step up to contribute. The work has been done to report on a clear path forward towards making this place a better environment. The structures have been outlined and a code of conduct has been developed. It is now over to all of us to implement this interim report and to make sure that we implement it in full.

See this speech in context