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

As the chair of the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards, I am beyond delighted to speak to the Prime Minister's motion that this House endorse the committee's draft behaviour standards and codes for parliamentarians, for parliamentarian staff and for Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces. Yesterday marked one year since the parliament acknowledged the Set the standard report by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. The revelations of sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault that have been made clear through almost 1,800 submissions to the report were shocking. The Australian people rightly called for change, and the government has been working across the parliament to implement the Commissioner's 28 recommendations and to deliver a safer and more respectful parliamentary workplace.

The parliament has already established the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service to provide trauma informed and confidential support across the parliament. We've changed the standing orders to make sitting days more family friendly and provided new training programs for parliamentarians and staff to build greater awareness and understanding of inclusion, diversity and respect. And we've released the MOP(S) Act review and agreed in principle to all 15 of its recommendations.

One of Jenkins's central recommendations was to introduce codes of conduct for parliamentarians, for parliamentarian staff and for all Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces. These codes were developed by the multiparty Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards which I chaired.

I want to take a moment to thank all of the members of that committee for their diligence, for their consultation, for their hard work and, it must be said, at the end their determination to get this done. I'm honoured to be joined in the chamber by one of those committee members, the member for Lalor. I also want to acknowledge the member for Bean and the member for Calwell who helped enormously in the committee process. The member for North Sydney and the member for Forrest were our House members on the select committee, and I was joined by the very able deputy chair, Senator the Hon. Marise Payne in the other place, along with Senator Claire Chandler, Senator Mehreen Faruqi and Senator Deb O'Neill.

There was a big body of work for the committee to do, and it was unusual for a parliamentary committee to be asked to draft and develop some codes of conduct. I pay tribute, as I said, to all those committee members. I'm proud that the committee was able to deliver a report to the House and the other place that was unanimous in our resolve. There was no dissenting report; there were no additional comments. It was a tough process reaching consensus, but that is what is required, and, indeed, I would argue it's what is expected of us by the majority of Australian citizens. This is testament to the collaborative work of the committee members.

I also want to take a moment to thank everybody who made submissions, who spoke at the hearings, who undertook the survey and who participated in confidential roundtable discussions. The committee was determined to ensure that we had multiple ways in which we would be able to engage with staff, with public servants, with politicians, with members of the press gallery—there are so many different people who work and engage in Commonwealth workplaces across the country.

The codes of conduct that we've landed on and recommended to the House and the Senate really set out some very clear guidelines as to how we must behave towards each other, with a focus on respectful behaviour, encouraging diverse perspectives and recognising the power and influence that we all have and ensuring that that is not abused. They also set out some clear expectations of upholding laws that support safe and respectful workplaces. We have a body of laws in Australia, including on matters regarding bullying, harassment and sexual harassment or assault and discrimination in any form. We have existing laws, and these behaviour standards remind us that this behaviour will not be tolerated, condoned or ignored.

The committee also put forward recommendations that guidance material and training accompany these new codes. We know how important that is because the parliament is seeking not just to set guidelines about how we should behave respectfully towards each other but also to drive a much longer-term project around cultural change. That is the hardest work of all. Honestly, as challenging as it was to draft codes of conduct, that is the easy part. We've got a big job to do on education and the guidance materials that need to follow so that people understand very clearly what is being asked of us. But the really big change is cultural change, and that's where we'll deliver really long-term and meaningful change in not just this place but all of our workplaces that are recognised as Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces across Australia.

I can't tell you how many times witnesses said these codes of conduct would not be worth the paper they were written on if there weren't also a strong enforcement regime to accompany them. The motion before the House flags the need for that. We are being asked to endorse a set of codes now, pending the formation of what will be an independent body. The Sex Discrimination Commissioner called it an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission and our committee is very happy with that title, but that will be a matter for the parliament. It will be that commission that will need to determine how guidance is given on the codes, what the compliance mechanisms will look like and how breaches will be dealt with.

For those people who are interested and are wondering what that might look like, some very clear guidance was provided by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner in her report. Our committee was satisfied that there should be a suite of options available and that they should be far-ranging and commensurate with the level of seriousness of a breach.

There might be an element of nervousness about this because the Australian parliament has, to date, failed on each and every occasion it has attempted to introduce codes of conduct. My plea to this parliament is to look at the international experience. Please read the report. Look at those draft codes of conduct.

In our report we have also recommended a review, which is right and proper. This is a new process for the Australian parliament and we want to make sure we are setting best practice. The one good thing about being one of the last countries in the Commonwealth to achieve this is that we get to learn some lessons, so I would recommend people take the time to look carefully at these codes.

As I said, for too long this parliament has sought to address this issue. It is almost a half-century since we first debated the need for codes of conduct in this parliament. We squibbed on it in 1975 and again in 1993, 2008, 2011 and 2012. Let's not allow the 47th parliament to join that list of failures. Let's not allow it. We owe it to the Australian people. We owe it to everyone who shared their stories of pain and trauma. And we owe it to ourselves and the future generations of people that will serve and work in this place and in all the Commonwealth workplaces across the nation. I commend this motion to the House.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have given more than 1,000 speeches in this place, both in the House of Representatives and in the Federation Chamber, which was previously under a different title: the Main Committee. One of the most difficult speeches I've given in Parliament House was in March 2021 when, as Deputy Prime Minister, I addressed coalition staff with former prime minister Morrison—we did it in the Great Hall. We did it at a difficult time. To look out amongst the huge number of people there was difficult—there were so many staff members there. One of the most difficult words in the English language—it seems to be difficult to say in this place—is 'sorry'. I don't know why; it should be the easiest word. It shouldn't need to be said, certainly when it comes to addressing staff. In a five-minute address that day I said 'sorry' three times, not that I needed to say 'sorry' myself—I had done nothing wrong. I said 'sorry', on behalf of what I represented, to the staff who had felt, at that time, unsupported. I reiterate those remarks now, as I did then. If, in fact, the word 'sorry' needs to be said then I am sorry—deeply, sincerely, earnestly and honestly—if, at any time, I or the party that I represent have not lived up to expectations. Because it is simply not good enough that in 2023 we are talking to a motion which is called Set the Standard. The standard should have been back in 1901; we shouldn't be talking about it in the 21st century. We should all live up to that standard.

It is a huge privilege and honour to be representative of a division and come to this place. People who send us here expect us to be our best selves. Even having to discuss this issue about not providing the right welfare to staff just doesn't equate; it doesn't seem right. But, indeed, we do and, indeed, we need to be better and, indeed, I hope and trust that we will be better, males particularly, males especially, because too many women have been let down.

I know I've employed any number of females over the years. In this position, in this role, particularly for those younger females, I've made it my business to call their parents to say, 'I want you to know that I will treat your daughter as I treat my own daughter, Georgina. I want you to know that, when your daughter is in my employ, she will be looked after, she will be respected and she will have a great opportunity,' because I want young women who come to Parliament House to work for a member or senator to know that this is going to be the opportunity and experience of a lifetime for all the right reasons, for all good and right reasons, and it should be.

This is a wonderful place in which to work whether you're an elected representative or whether you're a staff member of that person. We want more women to be elected representatives. I'm proud of what I was able to achieve in tripling the number of women in my Nationals party when I was the leader of the party, and some fine women too. I was doing the right and good thing by our party to bring about change, to help bring about a better culture in the National Party. I said when I was the leader of the party in March 2021, that same month I addressed the staff in the Great Hall, at our national conference: 'As with all workplaces in our nation, all homes, all places where people gather, we should be respectful. No female, no person, should ever feel unsafe in their workplace. No person should tolerate harassment of any kind or other inappropriate behaviour. We can all do better and we must do better.' It was right then, it's right now, it's now, it's imperative now but it should have been happening since 1901. We shouldn't be discussing this issue now because it just should come as second nature. It's respect. How hard is it to be respectful? How hard is it to keep your hands to yourself? How hard is it? You shouldn't have to think twice before saying something because it should be ingrained in your DNA to make sure that you don't say inappropriate things.

I think we've taken great strides in recent years. The fact that we have more female representation across the parliament and more in decision-making cabinet roles, ministerial roles per se, does lead to more respect within this workplace. I was pleased that both the Prime Minister and opposition leader talked about this yesterday when this motion came before the House.

But I do want to also talk about the Nationals because sometimes our party is wrongly accused of being behind the times on some things and we certainly are not in this regard. I know Julie Kirby from Western Australia is doing some wonderful things as part of our federal women's council. Our federal women's council has been in place since 1959, so we have some good history there. Can we do better as a party? Yes, of course we can. Kay Hull, my predecessor as the member of Riverina, is the federal president. Even in my own branch in Wagga Wagga, Mackenna Powell is doing a great job as the president of the branch, Anna O'Brien as the secretary, Julie Briggs as treasurer, and the current state candidate for Wagga Wagga in the state election is Andrianna Benjamin. They are all fine women, all doing their part so that women have more of a say in regional Australia.

In the Nationals it was largely the initiative of John 'Black Jack' McEwen that a women's conference was formed within federal council. When Doug Anthony took over the federal leadership he decided to increase the direct flow of information between the federal women's council and his office. The late Doug Anthony and 'Black Jack' were fierce political warriors; they truly were. But they also had good intent and they knew the value of having women directly involved in making decisions, in creating a better culture, in making sure that the Nationals were at the forefront of better representing society in general and regional in Australia in particular. Certainly I know when issues such as domestic violence come up before our party at conference, or indeed in the party room, obviously we are all as one, but these issues are very much at the forefront and have been for decades, not just as a recent initiative but for decades.

I look at the Senate leader at the moment, Senator Bridget McKenzie, and our deputy leader, Perin Davey, doing great things to ensure that female representation is a major issue in our party so we can set the standard, set a better standard, set the right standard, set the standard that we should have been doing, not just as Nationals, not just as Country Party people, but as representatives of society, of Australia, of the regions, since Federation. So I commend what has been done. I thank the Deputy Speaker, the member of Newcastle, a good friend of mine, for her involvement, and all who played a part in this process. I know for Nola Marino, the member for Forrest, this is especially close to her heart. I've been very close to Nola since I entered this place in 2010 and I know how concerned she has been that there have been accusations flying left, right and centre about the fact that we need to improve ourselves; indeed, we do. As men in this place, we can, we must, and we will do better.

I will finish as I started. I say sorry if there have been things said and things done. If indeed I've been part of that process—not that I believe I have—I am sorry. We need to do better and we will do better.

Kate Thwaites (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is an important day and this is an important debate. As the member for Riverina just acknowledged, we make a lot of speeches in this place. I can't say I'm up to a thousand speeches yet. I don't think I'm quite there. But we do make a lot of speeches in this place and it feels like it is important that as many of us as possible make a speech on this particular issue and commit ourselves to setting the standard because that is actually what this is all about. It is about all of us in this place saying that enough is enough, recognising that the work has been done on how this can be a better workplace for us as members, for our staff and for all the people who come into contact with this parliament because, of course, we should be the ones who set the standard.

It is unacceptable that we have been the workplace in Australia that has lagged behind, that somehow we have thought being a different workplace, which I absolutely acknowledge this place is, means we can be a workplace that has lower standards. That is absolutely not what being the parliament of Australia should be. We are the place that does set the standard for so many things across our country. We must also set the standard for ourselves. So today we are making it clear to everyone in this place and in our country that the behaviour that we have seen that has been tolerated here will not be tolerated in the future, that matters will not be swept under the carpet, that we will no longer say that that's a political thing, so we can't actually deal with it. It won't be ignored. It won't be 'managed', as some people have said they felt when bringing complaints forward in the past. These issues will be dealt with.

It's a year now since the parliament acknowledged the Set the standard report by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins. I've thanked the commissioner for her work before, but, once again, I want to acknowledge what an important report that was. The report found that the experience of many staffers and others in this place was of a workplace that was often toxic and harmful. It found that there needed to be long-term cultural change in how our parliamentary workplace operates and that immediate reform was needed. The recommendations put forward in that report have helped to ensure that this workplace and all the workplaces we are connected with, like our electorate offices, are places that are safe and respectful and follow best practice in preventing and responding to bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault.

I want to acknowledge all the people who came forward to tell their stories as part of the development of the Set the standard report. I know for many people that was not easy, and I want to thank them. Their bravery and courage in bringing forward their stories and being prepared to tell their stories—some publicly and some in private—have meant that we have a much stronger report to respond to as a parliament and that we are on track to being a better workplace. Thank you to all the people who did that for us.

Over the past year, there has been a significant amount of work across the parliament to begin to implement the reforms recommended by Commissioner Jenkins to deliver a safer and more respectful parliamentary workplace for the thousands of people who work here. I acknowledge and thank my colleagues who have been part of the committee working to develop the standards for this place, the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards. I particularly acknowledge the work of the Deputy Speaker, my friend the member for Newcastle, who chaired the committee and did so much to bring together and shepherd that work, reminding us all that we are setting the standard and that this is an important part of it. The member for Lalor was also a member of the committee, and the member for North Sydney. I thank them, and others who aren't here at the moment, for all the work they have done.

We now have before us a draft behaviour standards and codes, including specific codes for parliamentarians and for staff. Of course, the content of these codes is not actually groundbreaking; it is the sort of thing that is in codes of conduct across the country, but it is an important and overdue step forward for this place. We have lagged behind. We can now catch up and become a model workplace. In fact, we can work towards being an exemplar, a workplace that people look to for a standard.

I've been a staffer in this place, and I am fortunate that my experience here was inspirational enough to make me want to come back as a member, but that has not been everyone's experience. What this code of conduct, this report and the work we have to do does is make sure that this is a workplace where people feel inspired, that the spark that brings them here isn't squashed by a toxic culture or a toxic workplace. That's what we all must commit ourselves to. As I said, we all recognise that this is a very different workplace to many, but being different does not let us off the hook for bad behaviour. It does not mean that we are so special that codes of conduct and norms of behaviour that apply across the country do not apply to us. It cannot be that.

There is still work to be done. The standards make it clear that complaints made under the code will be taken seriously and dealt with confidentially and independently and that breaches will be met with effective sanctions. I strongly believe that the sanctions and consequences for actions will be an important part of bringing change to this place. The real test of these standards and codes is how we as parliamentarians uphold them—I very much hope that all of us across this place do dedicate ourselves to that, and that is what we are doing—and, in instances where they are not upheld, how we enforce them. Codes that we just pay lip-service to are not real codes, and they will not change the way that this place operates. As the Deputy Chair outlined in her speech, a lot of work has been done on how that system of consequences and enforcement will operate, and I know a lot of that work is still to come. That is work that, as a parliament, we all have to commit ourselves to. This is not a lip-service exercise. This is actually an exercise in changing this place and being genuine about that, and that means signing ourselves up for what comes through all of that. A big part of that will come through the establishment of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission and the way that that operates and is able to administer.

We are not unique in being in this situation in our parliament. Across the Commonwealth, parliaments have looked at this issue of how codes of conduct should operate and what the consequences should be for that experience. So we can draw on those experiences from parliaments in the United Kingdom and in New Zealand—those who have already done some of this work so that we can benefit from their experience to make sure that the work we continue to do, as I said, is not just lip service towards codes of conduct that are really important but also has mechanisms that follow through on that and show both the Australian public and the people who work in this place that all of us as parliamentarians are genuine about this change. We know that we have not behaved. We have not set the standard in a way that we should have.

As we recognise that we are at an important stage today, I think it is important to also understand that in some ways we are just at the beginning. It will take all of us, together, continuing to realise that this will have to be a focus—it's not a 'nice to have'; it's a 'must have'—to make sure that the code is effective. The work to establish the code has been done. I was really pleased, yesterday in the House and here today in the Federation Chamber, to hear so many members dedicating themselves to upholding the code and, on behalf of the political parties and movements they represent, also dedicating those wider movements towards the codes. We do now, as I said, need to put in place the structures that will ensure that, when breaches do occur, those breaches are dealt with appropriately and that, when misbehaviour or worse happens in this place, the perpetrator is held to account and those who have been impacted by that behaviour get the support and assistance they need.

I'm going to finish again by thanking the people who came forward with their stories and their experience and their passion for making this a better parliament. We all benefit from that. Our country will benefit from that. We owe it to all those people—who have come forward, shared their experiences and done the work—to make this a better parliament and to dedicate ourselves to not just having these codes of conduct but implementing these codes of conduct, upholding them in all of our behaviour and making sure that this is a place that sets the standard for our country.

Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday both the House of Representatives and the Senate joined together to endorse the interim behaviour standards and code for parliamentarians, staff and Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces. This is the first time parliament has had a code of conduct, which is extraordinary in itself. I came to this parliament in 2019 calling for a code of conduct, as did my predecessor, Cathy McGowan. From hospitals to university departments, I've worked in many, many workplaces in my career where codes of conduct offset the risk of power imbalances and harmful workplace environments from forming, and this workplace should be no exception. Members across both chambers have had similar experiences in their own workplaces before they came here. For me, as a person who believes in the power of consensus, this was a landmark moment for our parliament, and we shouldn't underestimate that. As one, with one voice, we recognise that we must do better. The public holds us to the highest standards of conduct, and so should we.

The Set the standard report found that an unacceptably high number of people, particularly women, in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces experienced bullying, sexual harassment or actual or attempted sexual assault whilst at work. We've all seen the grave impacts of this. I certainly have. I sat down with brilliant people, full of potential, who came here to contribute to their country and who are now dealing with the consequences of a culture which disbelieved and sidelined them when they tried to speak up about that abuse. I thank those people and the many people who came forward subsequently for their bravery, which really sparked us into getting to work on this. It shouldn't have taken that, but it did, and we must now honour their bravery. As an MP with a young and mostly female staff, I do not want them to feel threatened in their workplace. As an MP who hosts volunteers from my electorate in parliament every single sitting week, I want their time here to be a catalysing moment that shapes their lives, not one that casts a long shadow.

Since the Set the standard report was published, I've used my voice to demand the implementation of all recommendations. The government has accepted this, but only six have been implemented in the year since it was tabled and we need to pick up the pace. We can't afford for change to be slow. While endorsing the behaviour standards and code was an important step for progress, it's nowhere near enough. The question now is how these standards will be enforced and what penalties will apply when they are transgressed. While I believe that people in this place do want to lead by example, we need to have real penalties for inappropriate conduct to have severe consequences.

The Set the standard report called for an independent parliamentary standards commission to enforce the code of conduct. The report specifically recommended that the commission be empowered to investigate and make findings of fact about the alleged breaches of the code of conduct and make recommendations for sanctions. These powers reflect my call in 2020 with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Standards Bill, which included a code of conduct and that I was pleased to introduce as a private member's bill. It called for a commissioner who could assess, investigate, resolve or refer serious alleged breaches of the new code of conduct. I was really pleased to share detailed information about the proposal with the Jenkins review and, indeed, with the committee. Again, I thank them for listening and I thank them for their work.

The Prime Minister said that the independent parliamentary standards commission will be established later this year. It is good—very good—that this is a priority, and it needs to have serious powers so it can deliver on the important role. For instance, this commission should have the same powers as the Auditor-General to conduct investigations with appropriate safeguards to protect the rights of people under investigation. As I did with the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, I really look forward to working with this government to make sure that the oversight body meets the standards of the Australian people and that bad behaviour is never again swept under the rug. Our position as elected officials should never trump the safety of the people who come to work in this place.

In closing, I want to thank all the members of the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards, led so well by the member for Newcastle. These members worked hard to produce the interim behaviour standards and code. I particularly thank my colleague here, the member for North Sydney who outside of this place campaigned for a binding code of conduct to address bad behaviour and has followed through with passion and commitment now as a member of parliament. Thank you. Now, colleagues, it's up to us. We owe it to the Australian public to lead and to deliver the cultural and systemic change to make this a safe and respectful workplace.

Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to endorse the interim code of conduct. I speak as a member of the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards, which developed and worked particularly hard to consult, to listen, to think, to work together and to share our experience in bringing together the interim standards and codes in a way that thought about where we work, the people we work with and for and the people we represent. Respect at work is something we've heard a lot about. I spent nearly three decades working in schools. The first 10 years of that work in schools was in a classroom, not in leadership of adults, or grown-ups as we call them in schools. There were always debates about student behaviour. They would dominate a school if not dealt with appropriately. I've been involved in many cultural change moments, if you like, planned cultural change moments, where school communities would come together to agree on a set of values, to agree on a code of behaviour, to agree on non-negotiables in that community. And that is what we are doing here. That is all we are doing here. We are putting before our colleagues this summation of what respect looks like, and we're pleased that they are affirming what we have put down on paper to be real. That's what this document is.

From my classroom days to leading schools as a principal I've done enough change management, I've been involved in enough of these situations to know that human behaviour is not lineal. It is not singular. Everyone of us has different motivations, different drives. Some young people need high expectations and they will do whatever it takes to meet the expectations of someone that they respect. Some young people need clear guidelines. They need to know, 'What can I not do, and what will happen to me if I do it?' For some children that's really important. What we're trying to do in this document, and in this process as a parliament, is to say, 'This is how we agree we should work.' We're trying to put in place all of the parameters for the individuals who work with us so that we can meet their needs and help them to manage their behaviours. That's putting it bluntly; that's what's happening here.

In this place we are referred to as 'honourable members'. We have standing orders. We refer to one another by the names of the areas that we represent, by our divisions. I am in this chamber the member for Lalor. I am addressed every morning, in the opening of parliament, by a Speaker who says, 'honourable members'. Parliaments were established with those notions that people's behaviour would meet that expectation. There's a reason why we're called 'honourable members' first thing every day. It's to remind us that the one expectation of this place is that we behave honourably. It doesn't appear in our new code of conduct because it's there every day in our standing orders. The driving force in this is about acknowledging that we have power and influence and ensuring that we understand that power and that we don't misuse it. That we understand what respect means.

If I do an audit in a school, which I have done many of, I can see shared values plastered on the walls in this school. I can see codes of conduct. I can even sometimes see what the sanctions will be if they are breached. They're all around the school. To test whether those are alive, to test whether they're being lived and are not just words on a page, I would ask a child, 'Can you tell me what respect looks like?' That's what we do: 'Can you tell me what respect looks like?' The best answer to that question I've ever had was from a primary school child who said, 'It's about knowing how to say someone's name properly.' That went to the very core of me, that a child could understand that identity is critical to feeling dignity. A child can't articulate that, but this child could say to me respect is about knowing how to say people's names properly.

I'm from a very multicultural community and the school I'm talking about will have variations on a theme in terms of pronunciations of names. But it touched me because, as a teacher, that was always really important to me. It was important to me because I found a student in my classroom who, when it came to Year 12, when it came to registering for the exams, their name did not exist. They had been told on entering the school, in their entry interview, that they should adopt themselves an Anglo name that would be easy for people to say. That is about identity and that is about dignity and that is about respect. It stayed with me forever. So in my classroom—I'm not particularly good at pronunciation; I'm a single-language speaker. Lots of ways of making sounds were eliminated in me by the time I started school, so it's a struggle. I can't roll my Rs very well; I have to really concentrate. So it's always been important for me in my classroom to ensure that I am saying someone's name the way they choose to say it. That's what respect is. That's all this is about.

We're hearing a lot about the acceptance here, or the fact that bad behaviours have been tolerated. Parliament has always had hues, hints, in the ways we deal with one another—it's there embedded—but this is a modern way for us to come together and say: 'What does respect look like? How would I like to be treated? How do I want to treat others?' With these codes, if I sat with every individual in this parliament and said, 'Can you agree to this?" their answer would be a resounding 'yes'.

We also need to put in place the things that go around this. And, yes, for some people, the sanctions are the primary thought. I may have a different view, which I may have expressed a lot. Cultural change does things to people. We ask people; we tell people, 'Use the word "change".' For some people that triggers an anxiety about change. We need to be mindful, as we work through this process and in our conversations with one another, that everybody responds differently when they're confronted with change. So there will be some people for whom this is causing anxiety. I urge everybody across the parliament: if you're feeling even a slightly little bit anxious about what you're hearing from your colleagues, go to the pieces of paper and ask yourself, 'Is there anything in this document that I wouldn't ask someone of else and that I cannot ask of myself?' The answer is, 'Of course there isn't.' Of course we can all can agree that we want to act respectfully, professionally and with integrity. This change is not a challenge for parliamentarians.

I will finish by saying that, if we can ask five-year-olds in our classrooms to agree to a set of values, to agree to a code of behaviour, and if we can put the energy into five-year-olds to find ways for them to manage their own behaviour, then we can ask that of representatives in this place. When I say 'the member the North Sydney', and thank you for your work; when I say 'the member the Newcastle', and thank you for your work; when I say 'the member for Hawke'; when I say 'the member for Dunkley'; and when I say 'the member for Canberra', I am showing respect. It's built into the way we do things in this place. This is an extension of that. It's an acknowledgement of the fact that there have been behaviours in this workplace that have mortified us, and we commit to do better. And we want processes in place to ensure, as the member for Indi said so eloquently, that things are never swept under the carpet, that we have ways of moving forward. For some people, that may require heavy sanctions until they learn to control those behaviours. For other people, it may require a conversation, a mediation and a change in behaviour. For some people, they just need to know that it makes somebody else feel anxious or feel that they're being disrespected.

I commend the work of the committee to the House, I look forward to the way forward, and I want to thank the member for Newcastle for incredible leadership.

Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For many Australians it would seem completely illogical that, up until yesterday, there was no binding code of conduct for parliamentarians, their staff or people visiting a parliamentary workplace. While I don't have specific figures, I dare say most Australians in the real world are bound by some form of code of conduct, wherever they may find themselves, be that a work environment, schools or even in public venues, where we are often asked to abide by a set of behavioural standards or face expulsion.

Certainly for me, as someone who's worked for over 35 years now, I can only think of two occasions where I was not required to acknowledge and sign a binding code of conduct as I commenced work. Both of these occurred when I was much younger, working in casual jobs for small businesses in a small country town. While I wasn't asked to sign anything, the expectations of my behaviour were certainly made very clear to me both verbally and through the actions of those around me. Time, though, has moved on since those experiences of mine, and, given the great value offered by common codes of conduct and their ubiquitous nature across all environments, why should it have been the case that that same expectation was not, until now, applied to this place?

The Respect@Work report completed by the Australian Human Rights Commissioner in March 2020 was a milestone moment not just for our country but also for this place. Its findings shone a light on the inadequacy of our current legal and regulatory system in Australia to deal with the prevalence and pervasiveness of workplace sexual harassment. It particularly identified and called out the weaknesses in this place, a place which should be one which consistently models the highest standards of behaviour, and the role the Set the standard report has subsequently played in moving this place's culture in a new direction should not be underestimated.

A survey conducted at the time as part of the report found that one in three people working in this building had personally experienced sexual harassment at work and that over half had experienced at least one instance of bullying, harassment or assault. Those numbers are obviously unacceptable. As the highest office holders in the land, federal politicians must be held to the highest standards.

For me, the delivery of the Respect@Work report was a galvanising moment. It followed what I saw as the appalling treatment of our first female Prime Minister, the Hon. Julia Gillard; Brittany Higgins's brave expression of her experiences; Julia Banks's accounting of her time in parliament; reports of Bridget Archer's treatment within parliament; and Annabel Crabb's series Ms Represented. Having witnessed all of these things and learning of the findings of the Set the standard report, I couldn't escape a feeling that I had to do something. So I decided, as someone who had been voting for over 30 years, I had to accept the role that I'd played in enabling it and find a way to change it irrevocably for the better.

It was at this time that some people within my community approached me to see if I would run as an Independent for the seat of North Sydney. While it was not something that I had ever foreseen myself doing, I said yes, not because I had any ideas of grandeur or entitlement—in fact the idea, then and even today, sometimes scares me—but because I believed that if I could help drive a higher-profile discussion about the reform needed at this level simply by campaigning on this and other topics then the personal cost of saying yes would be worth it. It's within this context, then, that I committed that if elected as the member for North Sydney I would do whatever I could to ensure the recommendations of the Set the standard report were realised.

At this point, I want to sincerely thank the far too many courageous victims-survivors and everyone who bravely shared their stories to inform this important work. I also want to thank the commissioner, Kate Jenkins, for her fearlessness. The Respect@Work report and the Set the standard report were both developed following a long and thorough process, finally bringing to light what many women have known to be true for decades. We need to do better in workplaces right around the country, including this one.

It is with great pride that I stand here today to welcome the motion moved in the House yesterday that saw our parliament unite to endorse the draft behaviour standards and codes of conduct as presented in the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards Final report last year. I had the privilege of being part of that committee, and I would like to especially thank our chair, the Deputy Speaker and member for Newcastle, Ms Sharon Claydon; our deputy chair, Senator Marise Payne; and all of my committee colleagues, including the member for Lalor, Ms Joanne Ryan, who was recently in the chamber this morning, for their time, dedication and fierce advocacy.

Working together, this committee developed behaviour standards which set clear expectations of upholding laws that support safe and respectful workplaces, including laws regarding bullying, harassment, sexual harassment or assault, and discrimination in any form. But merely obeying the law is not going to be good enough. The committee set clear guidelines which focus on ensuring respectful behaviour, encouraging diverse perspectives and, recognising the power and influence we have, ensuring not to abuse it. These documents were not developed lightly. They have been scrutinised, reviewed, debated, rewritten, reviewed and then presented. It has taken literally hundreds of hours over a very short period of time, and it says everything about this process, the leaders of that committee and the way this House is now behaving that we were ultimately united and the report was presented unanimously.

Our parliament has been considering codes of conduct for almost half a century, with a report in 1975 noting that a 'meaningful code of conduct should exist' in this place. Since then, many members in this place have tried, but they have failed. At the last election people made it clear that they expect and demand a higher standard of conduct from their MPs, and, as a member of the committee which developed the draft code of conduct, I'm proud to say we have now finally delivered.

With over 4,000 people working in Parliament House on any given sitting day and thousands more working in the country across electoral offices, all the people in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces must be safe. It was the courage of Brittany Higgins and many before her that resulted in the Jenkins review. Its recommendations led to the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce and the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards. Yesterday's announcement in parliament that the draft code of conduct prepared by the committee will be endorsed and adopted is a win for all those who want to see politics done differently.

Like all other members of the committee, I strongly support the recommendation to establish a confidential, independent and serious investigative body with an effective sanctions regime to drive long-term cultural change. I am confident that this work is being done and will be realised. This body will have teeth. There will be tangible consequences such as sanctions and possibly even suspension. But it must be noted: we are not waiting for the establishment of that body. We will move ahead with these new expectations of behaviour from today.

I was sent by the people of North Sydney to help change the culture in our federal politics for the better, knowing full well that changing any culture is always one of the hardest things to do in any environment. But, in the last 24 hours, we have taken one of the most significant steps we can towards change. We have adopted a common language of standards that we can expect of each other, and we have committed to holding not only ourselves to those standards but being brave and courageous in holding our peers to those same standards as we interact with them. The climate in Canberra is changing, and the people of North Sydney can be proud of the role that we've played in moving this agenda forward and in the commitment we will take forward, ensuring we remain a positive and supportive voice in this environment.

Alicia Payne (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in strong support of the Prime Minister's motion. Yesterday, the Prime Minister said in the House:

Parliament House will never be a typical workplace, but it must be a safe workplace, a respectful workplace, a workplace that lives up to the ideals our democracy is built on—equality, fairness, decency and respect for all—and a workplace worthy of the nation and the people we are called here to serve …

And he is absolutely right. That's why I'm very proud to stand here today as the parliament adopts, for the first time ever, standards and a code of conduct. I want to pay particular tribute to my friend and colleague, the member for Newcastle, Deputy Speaker of the House, who chaired the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards, and all the members of that committee from across political persuasions who worked to develop this code of conduct. It was presented unanimously, and that is really significant because these are issues that are across the political divide. It affects people from all sides of politics, and this is a unifying moment for this parliament as we come together to adopt these standards and a code of conduct for the first time.

It's very important that this House acknowledges the unacceptable history of workplace bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces. I'm very proud that we're taking this action.

It's been a year since Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins's landmark Set the standard report was formally acknowledged by this parliament. The title of that report is apt because people expect this workplace to set the standard. It should be a place that other workplaces look up to.

In March 2021, thousands and thousands of women across Australia marched for justice, and they said, 'Enough is enough.' I was proud, with many of my colleagues, to go out to the march outside Parliament House and to gather with women who were tired of the sexism, the harassment and even assaults that women are subjected to, and this was, of course, sparked by the bravery of Brittany Higgins in coming forward with her story. This resonated with people because it was about not just what was going on in Parliament House that was completely unacceptable but what was going on in workplaces, in the community, in homes all around our country. What it said was that people did want to see the parliament—as a workplace, as an institution—do better and set the standard, and in adopting this code of conduct we begin that really important work.

I want to talk a little bit about parliamentary staff, because I think there's often a lot of misunderstanding in the community about the role that these staff actually have. These people work incredibly hard for incredibly long hours with incredible dedication. They are some of the most clever and smart and concerned people in this country, who come here to work because they believe in the power of this place to make changes for the lives of Australians. For many, as people have talked about, it is a dream job to come and work here—to be part of making that change. That is something that I can relate to, having worked as a staffer in the past myself. To me, it was just a dream come true to come and work in this place.

For too many people, though, they have had disastrous experiences here that never should have happened in a workplace that should have been respectful and that should not have subjected people to sexism, to harassment and even to assault and attempted assault. I really want to thank and acknowledge the people who bravely came and shared their stories as part of that Kate Jenkins report and review, because that isn't easy, and it is because of that that we are here making that change. I hope that this brings some hope to people who have, very wrongfully, had those experiences and that it begins a path to changing this place, which I believe we are already on, since those discussions began. I think there really has been a reckoning in this place and there is a need for people to do things differently.

As the Prime Minister has said, it will never be a typical workplace. There will always be long hours. There will always be a bit of chaos here. Part of the problem here is that people who come into this place do have a lot of power, and what this code of conduct is asking people to do, in part, is to be mindful of that and not to abuse that. I think that is really key to this. What is key to this is having respect for one another as human beings. I'm very proud of the work that the joint select committee has done to come up with this, and I'm proud that our parliament is adopting this. It's very important.

The commissioner made a number of findings about the need for urgent and immediate reform and, importantly, for long-term cultural change—changes that will make this workplace safer and more respectful and a worthy exemplar for other workplaces around the country. As I say, we are heeding these findings, and the government has since been working collaboratively across the parliament to implement the report recommendations so we can deliver safer and more respectful parliamentary workplaces. Everyone should feel safe when they go to work, and, as I say, absolutely in this building people should always feel safe. This building should set the standard for workplaces around the country, and that's what this is about.

The parliament also took action last year, when Minister Gallagher announced that the new human resources body for parliamentarians and staff would be established as an independent statutory agency. We are enhancing the existing Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, which has already built the trust and confidence of staff and colleagues.

Importantly, part of this step today is that complaints made under the code of conduct will be taken seriously and they will be dealt with independently and confidentially. In the past, many have said that when they've made complaints they've felt that it has been managed or swept under the rug as a political problem to solve. This is about taking this seriously, dealing with it independently and creating that mechanism to deal with these complaints so that everyone can feel safe in this workplace. We want this to be a workplace where we can all feel safe and all be proud of the culture here. Again, I really want to commend the work of the member for Newcastle and all members on that committee and everyone in this parliament who supports this and who is going to work together to make this a safe, respectful and equal workplace.

Peta Murphy (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to 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.

Andrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I first worked in this building in 1988 doing work experience for the then member for Fraser, John Langmore. I came back to work as a staffer for the late Senator Peter Cook from 1998 to 2000, and I've had the privilege of serving in this place as a member, first for Fraser and then for Fenner, since 2010, so I've seen the culture in the parliament evolve. I've seen it change from a building which was almost entirely a parliament of men to now being much more gender diverse. I've seen it become a little more caring and I've seen the rise of the #MeToo movement, that very welcome rally that said it was about time that we had gender equity in this country.

But other things haven't changed. This still remains one of the very few workplaces in Australia where it's considered acceptable to shout insults at your co-workers while they are trying to do their jobs. It still remains a place in which there are highly personal attacks made on people for political reasons, and the rise of anonymous social media has worsened that particular cesspool. We've seen pile-ons which have challenged the mental health of many. Just think about the impact on former Senator Nick Sherry from the partisan attacks which caused him to attempt to take his life. Many who have been in the eye of the storm during the 12 years that I've been in this parliament have spoken to me about the way in which that affects their mental health.

In courts, the Commonwealth seeks to be a model litigant. It seeks to behave in the courts as it would hope other litigants behave, so we, too, in this parliament should seek to set the standard. We should seek to be the kind of workplace we expect other workplaces in Australia to be. My former colleague at the Australian National University Professor Deborah Cobb-Clark researched extensively the issue of sexual harassment and the way in which that widened the gender pay gap. Professor Cobb-Clark made the point that the impact of sexual harassment can be particularly pernicious when it prevents women from pursuing careers which are high-stress and require long and unsociable hours. In a workplace with sexual harassment, many talented women will simply choose not to put themselves into a position of vulnerability, which is effectively not to seek leadership roles in many organisations. Professor Cobb-Clark's research showed that reducing sexual harassment has a massive impact on reducing the gender pay gap and on productivity because it's not just those women, their families and their loved ones who benefit directly but the organisations themselves that are able to make productive use of those women's skills because they are pursuing high-impact careers. That's nowhere truer than in politics, where a culture of sexual harassment and sexual bullying is most likely to deter talented women, those who might feel that they have a contribution to make but simply aren't willing to put themselves into the cauldron of abuse and misogyny.

One of the fears that I had during the worst experiences of sexism that I've seen in this building, the misogynistic attacks on former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, was that Prime Minister Gillard herself could handle it. But I worried about the number of talented women thinking about politics who looked at the signs that the former opposition leader stood in front of, looked at the callous treatment to which she was subjected, the misogyny and the abuse, and said, 'Politics isn't for me.' That was my greatest fear at the time.

These reforms we're discussing today are an important first step forward, but they won't be the final step. This will be an ongoing journey as the parliament seeks to set the standard for the Australian community. Like many others, I've benefited from the training that was provided on dealing with sexual harassment and bullying complaints. In my case, as for, I understand, a majority of senators and members, my training was provided by PwC's Julie McKay who formerly headed up UN Women. I want to acknowledge Julie for her thoughtful leadership and for the way in which, through that unstructured session, she was able to teach me a great deal. I believe she is somebody who has made a huge contribution to improving the culture of this place, and I thank her for that.

I thank, too, Kate Jenkins for her two important reports, Respect@Work and Set the standard, which have brought together an enormous body of work and encouraged us to tackle these issues. I want to thank, too, the member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon. I was one of those who spoke to the member for Newcastle's Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards, and I provided evidence in camera relating to the 10 principles of politics that I'd set up in my office. Some years ago, I worked with my staff to develop 10 principles that hang on the walls of our offices and seek to epitomise what we do. I've encouraged other members of parliament to adopt some principles document for themselves because many organisations, non-profit and for-profit alike, have mission statements, goals, codes of conduct, and yet we haven't had those. I seek leave to incorporate the 10 principles of politics document into Hansard.

Leave granted.

The document read as follows—

Principles of Politics

Office of Andrew Leigh MP

1. How we practice politics can be as important as the policies we pursue. Since this is politics, we'll never be universally popular. But we should treat co-workers, constituents and colleagues with respect and dignity. This is especially important when dealing with vulnerable constituents.

2. Our communications should try to engage with the better instincts of Australia, to tell stories, make new arguments, and convey fresh facts. When we dumb down debates and demonise our opponents, progressives lose. When we enrich the public conversation, we win.

3. None of us would be here without the Labor Party. It is Australia's oldest and greatest political party, and will outlast all of us. We have a responsibility to cherish its traditions, make it stronger and more democratic, and help Labor win elections.

4. When we cannot help someone, we should tell them honestly, and use that time to help others; particularly the most disadvantaged.

5. We should be working on the most important things possible—big ideas, critical questions, major community issues. The only way to get the space to do this is to say no to less important priorities. We can do anything, but we cannot do everything.

6. Experimenting is good, and learning from our mistakes is healthy—but only if we share what we've learned with our team and our Labor colleagues.

7. Envy and hate are two of the biggest timewasters in politics. Media coverage is a means, not an end. Working in politics is a privilege, and we're lucky to do it. Our office should be the positive, respectful and safe work environment we would want for every employee in the country.

8. Wherever possible, we should draw on the strengths of diversity, and collaborate with colleagues on policies, campaigns and events. Labor is the party of "we", not "me".

9. Don't apologise for spending time with friends and family, exercising or reading fiction. Not only is socialising important in itself; a well-rounded life helps us do our jobs better. Strive for calmness, balance and gratitude.

10. Act ethically, crack jokes when we can, and keep a sense of perspective. The typical career lasts around 80,000 hours. Let's make them count.

I thank the opposition.

I now go to a number of recommendations in the report. It will be vital to have an external independent review, following up and ensuring that there is high-quality implementation right across a range of diverse workplaces. Recommendation 4 speaks about individual leadership and recognises that, in this place, the offices of members and senators can sometimes have a character that's a bit like the character of a small business. For those of us who are part of a major party, perhaps that's a franchise business, but each office operates differently and sometimes the standards of those offices can be very different. I've heard stories, for example, of staff from departments who worked in ministerial offices under the former government as departmental liaison officers. They were referred to by other members in that office not by their names, but by just as 'DLO'. 'Hey, DLO, go and do this,' or 'Hey, DLO, go and do that.' That's no way to treat a co-worker.

Recommendation 5 speaks about diversity among parliamentarians. I'm proud to stand here as a member of a party where, of the 103 members of the Labor caucus, 54 are women, and as part of an Albanese government in which half of the members of cabinet are women. Recommendation 7 goes to measurement and public reporting and focuses on diversity characteristics which I hope will go beyond gender to also look at race and ethnicity. Recommendation 10 speaks about everyday respect in the parliamentary chambers. Again, I hark back to that period from 2010 to 2013 in which then opposition leader Abbott spoke about the need for an election so the Prime Minister could 'make an honest woman of herself', in which then opposition leader Abbott stood in front of signs saying 'ditch the witch', in which then opposition leader Abbott would frequently refer in the parliament to 'Julia' rather than to 'the Prime Minister', as would have been done for a male prime minister. That low standard was something which Prime Minister Gillard didn't focus on. She didn't speak much about that behaviour. But, looking back, I feel that, even as a newly minted backbencher, I should have done more to call out the everyday sexism that I saw there in the House of Representatives chamber.

There will be monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement, under recommendation 19, and I hope that will also include reporting, by party, of harassment claims. Finally, I want to thank the Leader of the House, Tony Burke, for the change to standing orders that allows me to go home to my kids at 6.30. That is, indeed, a way of setting the standard. (Time expired)

Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to 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.

Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That further proceedings be conducted in the House.

Question agreed to.