Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to last flight's Four Corners program and the revelations about toxic sexual culture in the Liberal Party, ministers' offices and this parliament. Prime Minister, this is the parliament's 'Me Too' moment. Women in this place and around the country want you to act. Will you immediately commence an investigation into what's going on in ministers' offices, stand aside the ministers involved with the Four Corners story while the investigation takes place, and put in place a proper framework for sexual misconduct to be reported and investigated so that every woman working in parliament feels confident that they can come forward without fear of reprisal?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. The matters that were the subject of last night's report were matters that arose several years ago. They were not matters that were contemporaneous; they were matters that were raised several years ago. In fact, they predate my time as Prime Minister. These matters were addressed by the then Prime Minister Turnbull. His response—which I strongly supported as members in this place at the time will know—was to put in place a new standard for ministerial conduct in this place. He did so prospectively. We have upheld that standard and we will continue to uphold that standard for one very important reason—and it goes to the very issues that the member has raised. Every single person who works in this place, and any place in this country, should feel safe. And there should be, as there are in this place, as you will be aware, Mr Speaker, arrangements that are put in place for staff who work in this place to raise issues such as this through the Department of Finance in an anonymous or very private and confidential way. That is the process that is set down for all members of this place. But there is an even higher standard that was put in place by Prime Minister Turnbull, and is upheld by me, to ensure that ministers go beyond those arrangements.

Frankly, I don't see why the simple process of not saying it's okay for members of this place—ministers, shadow ministers, leaders of political movements who are representing this party or anyone else—should not be held to the same standards in terms of the conduct the member for Melbourne is referring to, that are set out in the ministerial standards. It doesn't matter if you're a staffer in a shadow minister's office, the leader of the Greens's office, my office or any other member in this place's office—it doesn't matter. That sort of thing should not be on in this place. Under my government, and under my predecessor's government, we made sure that those standards were put in place. And when we did it, some in this place—including on that side—mocked it. Some outside of this place, including in the media, mocked it as well. And they continue to, with the language with which they refer to that change in standards. I decry that, because it's an important change in standards. And you can have it from me, Mr Speaker, that those standards in my government that are set out in that code will be upheld. I would invite the Leader of the Greens and I would invite the leaders of other political parties in this place to ensure that their staff have the same protection that staff in my ministers' offices have.