Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Deputy President. On that theme of assaults in this building, I would like to stand in support of Senator Thorpe following her statement made in the Senate earlier today. I commend her on speaking out about these issues and I commend and stand in awe of the strength and courage of all survivors of sexual harassment, abuse and assault.

Senator Thorpe's statement today reflects what she disclosed to the Greens' leadership two years ago. She was greatly distressed. We backed her and supported her and sought solutions alongside her through discussions with the Senate President at the time, the Liberal Senate leadership and the Prime Minister's office. When people raise issues about their treatment in this or any other workplace it is important that those around them take action.

Everyone has a right to a safe workplace, yet the statistics show that discrimination, harassment and abuse are rife. The Set the standard report found that one in three parliamentary staffers in this building had experienced some form of sexual harassment, as had many female parliamentarians. It was the courage of survivors speaking out that led to the Set the standard report.

Until last week I really thought we were making progress, but all this week we have seen the appalling politicisation of the allegations made by Brittany Higgins, a most courageous and dignified young woman. This has been an incredibly distressing week for so many of us and for so many survivors. Support services have said what a chilling effect this rampant weaponisation of a young woman's alleged rape will have on victims-survivors everywhere. The behaviour on display here and this week only serves to validate the concerns of victims-survivors that they will be ignored, that they will lose their jobs and that they will not be believed. The Canberra Times today reported that a survivor of sexual assault in Parliament House has told them that the conduct in this place this week was 'challenging any confidence' that she had left in the legal system, politicians and the media.

Instead of politicising an allegedly sexual assault, we should be focused on implementing the recommendations of the Set the standard report, strengthening justice system responses and making sure that when women do come forward they get the advice and support that they need. The ultimate test of whether we have successfully changed this place's toxic culture and implemented the Set the standard report is whether staff feel safe and respected at work, whether new senators feel safe and respected at work, whether all workers in this building feel safe and respected at work and whether people watching this place think that parliament is somewhere that they might like to work.

We must ensure that staff and survivors continue to be involved in our response to the Set the standard report, that it is expedited and that those staff and survivors feel supported to tell us when we're not doing enough. Question time this week has been an absolute abomination. I hope that we can all actually set a standard that we are proud of going forward.