Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again to the Prime Minister, and I refer to his previous answer. The Prime Minister just said that there was no evidence that his staff undermined Ms Brittany Higgins' loved ones. Why does the Prime Minister ignore the words of Ms Higgins, who said:

I watched as the Prime Minister of Australia publicly apologised to me through the media, while privately his team actively discredited and undermined my loved ones.

Don't Ms Higgins' words count, and has the Prime Minister asked his staff if they are true?

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

I refer the member to my earlier answers on this matter. I've been very clear: there is no information before me that supported that—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left!

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

What my government will continue to focus on is dealing with the substance of the issues that need to be addressed by this parliament and by my government, to ensure that people working in this place, whether they be members, senators or staff members in this place, have access to the counselling support they need and the complaints process. When we achieve that it will be a new high-water mark for people working in this place.

These standards have not been put in place by previous governments. These counselling and support services were not put in place by previous governments when they had the opportunity to do so. We have moved to put those in place and to provide those protections. But more than that, the broader issue is of ensuring that women can be safe in the workplace and that women can be safe more broadly in the community—that they can walk to their own car after leaving a railway station on their way home from work, or so that women can have that feeling of confidence and support when they go to the police to make the complaints so we can see crimes investigated and perpetrators brought to justice.

The next national action plan to support protection against violence against women will ensure that record funding and support are provided, together with the states and territories.

Opposition members interjecting—

Those opposite who interject seem to suggest some allegation of criminal conduct. There has been no suggestion of criminal conduct by my staff at all! The suggestion that there has been so is offensive by the interjections of those opposite. My government will remain focused on providing the support that is needed for women and men in this place, to ensure that they have the support they need when they're placed in situations that are completely unacceptable. We need to focus on fixing the problem. The Labor Party is playing political games in this place. They're seeking to score political points over an issue that is far more important than their political objectives.