Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hume for her question. As I referred to yesterday, it has since been reported that the United Firefighters Union has been on an active campaign to try and cover up allegations of bullying, intimidation and harassment of Country Fire Authority volunteers. The evidence has come directly from Professor Caroline Taylor, who undertook the survey. She has revealed that she herself has been bullied for writing a report highlighting the extent of the bullying within the CFA. In fact, she went on record yesterday on radio and said this: 'There is a very, very serious culture of bullying and harassment that operates largely with impunity.' She also said, 'The heart of this culture is the underbelly of a union structure that doesn't allow transparency or accountability and fails to have any process by which people can be held to account in a transparent way or face any kind of discipline for the behaviours that are brought against their staff.' The behaviours that Professor Taylor has outlined are very disturbing. She has cited bullying, intimidation, sexual harassment and even criminal sexual assault.

We also have an extraordinary report, a comment from Victoria's Human Rights Commissioner. This is what the Human Rights Commissioner has said. She has expressed concerns that 'if individuals approach her commission to report bullying and harassment in the state's fire service, they may actually be photographed entering her building'. In any other workplace, senators opposite would be rightly outraged. But when it happens to the CFA, because of the UFU, they are silent. (Time expired)