Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week the Albanese Labor government passed through this House of Representatives the all-important Respect@Work legislation. This is great news for Australian women, great news for our nation, because everyone has the right to a safe and respectful workplace. Sexual harassment is not inevitable, it is preventable. The Respect@Work bill will move Australia forward in our efforts to prevent workplace sexual harassment from even happening in the first place. The Respect@Work report was commissioned and written by Kate Jenkins. It was the outcome of an inquiry examining the nature and prevalence of sexual harassment in Australian workplaces, the drivers of that harassment and the measures to address and prevent sexual harassment. The report made 55 recommendations. It was directed to all levels of government and the private sector for policy and legislative reforms to prevent and address workplace sexual harassment.

The former Liberal government sat on that report for almost a year. Then, if it wasn't failure enough, they refused to implement many of the key recommendations. Australian women rightly said, 'Enough is enough', took to the streets, marched for justice and made vital demands on the Liberal government, including the implementation of all 55 recommendations of the Respect@Work report. Those opposite had their fingers in their ears and their arms firmly folded. They stood in this parliament and said that these women, that these survivors, should be glad that their protest on the front lawn wasn't met with force. We all remember that reference. I remember how bad I as a woman sitting in this chamber felt when the former Prime Minister stood and uttered those words having just returned from the front lawn of Parliament House. It wasn't about how bad I felt because millions of Australian women felt the same about how the Prime Minister dealt with this issue.

The coalition didn't know the meaning of respect in 2021, and maybe they still don't. When they were in government, they refused to implement positive duties on employers to prevent sexual harassment at work, and once again this week those opposite introduced amendments to the Labor government's Respect@Work bill in order to water down those positive duties. They have proved once again that they don't care about safe and respectful workplaces, and they don't care about how women carry that burden in this nation. The Albanese Labor government committed to implementing all 55 of those recommendations of the Respect@Work report. We said that we would do that in full as a matter of priority, and that's why we saw that legislation before the House this week. That's why the majority of members of this House, knowing full well the importance of that legislation, voted to support it. It saddened me that members opposite could not do so. I'm not sure what lessons have been learned, but I would have hoped that, if nothing else, it would have been to listen to what women had to say.

Over the past five years one in three people have experienced sexual harassment at work, with women experiencing higher rates of harassment than men. That is shameful. The Respect@Work bill that the Labor government passed this week through the House is a crucial part of our important work to progress gender equality. We know that achieving women's economic equality includes making sure that women are safe at work. Sexual harassment is a serious and pervasive issue that affects all industries and all professions. Sexual harassment is by no means inevitable. It is preventable, and this government will work to ensure it is addressed. This legislation is important but long overdue. Everyone should feel safe at work, and gender equality is now at the very heart of this government's decision-making. I couldn't be more proud than I am to be part of a Labor government in this place with the majority of its ranks, 52 per cent of its ranks, made up of women. That is something that we on this side of the House should and are proud of but only because it makes sure that we make better decisions for this nation.

Debate adjourned.

House adjourned at 17:00

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Claydon ) took the chair at 09:41, a division having been called in the House of Representatives.