Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I can say that of course I'm aware of today's reports and I'm extremely concerned about the wellbeing of my former staff member. Women should be safe and they should feel safe in the workplace at all times. My only priority throughout this matter was the welfare of my then staff member and ensuring that she received the support that she needed. That included ensuring that she was clear about the support available to her, and her right to make a formal complaint to the Australian Federal Police should she choose to do so. At all times, my then chief of staff and I ensured that we sought advice from and we followed advice from ministerial and parliamentary services regarding the support available. I was at pains to ensure that my staff member felt empowered to determine how she wanted to handle the matter, and that remains the case.

At the time of the initial meeting with my staff member, I was not aware of the details or the circumstances of the alleged incident in my office. Had I known, I would have conducted the meeting elsewhere. Given the sensitivities surrounding this issue, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further.