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

I rise for the Australian Greens to speak on the Set the standard annual report. This is the third time I have risen to speak on the implementation of recommendations from the former Sex Discrimination Commissioner's Set the standard report. Those recommendations were intended to be fully implemented within 12 months, not three years. I am proud of the progress that has been made, but there is no doubt that it has been too slow and we still have a long way to go.

Establishing an independent, trauma informed parliamentary workplace support service to support staff and MPs dealing with harassment and abuse has been a huge step forward, as has adopting draft codes of conduct for senators. But, without enforcement powers, they cannot solve the problem. Recommendation 22 of the Set the standard report was that the houses of parliament should establish within 12 months an independent parliamentary standards commission to enforce codes of conduct. That IPSC was expected in October 2023. That time frame was first extended until February this year and has now blown out one whole year until October 2024. This is the second extension, and, without this body, bad behaviour continues to go unchecked. We know that, without real prospects that an MP will be sanctioned, staff are reluctant to come forward. Consequences are crucial. As a member of the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce, I know work to set up the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission is complex but there is no doubt it has been much too slow—inexcusably so.

Members of parliament have significant power to shape the lives of our communities. Given that responsibility, we need a system that effectively holds us to account. Set the standard recommended that the IPSC have the power to operate a fair, independent, confidential and transparent system to receive disclosures as well as handle complaints about misconduct, make findings about misconduct, make recommendations on sanctions and apply sanctions for a breach of the code of conduct. Without genuine consequences, such as suspension from parliament or loss of entitlements or directions to provide a public apology, there is little to deter the bad behaviour that we see time and time again. The Greens will continue to push for real accountability and transparency so that the IPSC, when it is eventually established, can effectively hold people to account. While that work to establish the IPSC is being done, it is still the responsibility of every MP to act consistently with the commitments that we made when endorsing those codes of conduct and for all parties to act quickly in response to complaints.

We know that, for First Nations people, people of colour and people with disability, harassment and disrespect experienced in this place or online when working in parliamentary roles is even worse. Sexism, racism, ablism, homophobia and classism persist and are even more damaging and dangerous when they intersect. Increasing diversity in this place is crucial. That cannot happen without measures to make this a safe workplace for a more diverse range of people. I salute my colleagues Senator Faruqi, Senator Cox and Senator Steele-John as true leaders in that space. But we have a long way to go. When female MPs are still being subject to sexist, intimidatory behaviour, you can only imagine how much worse it is for staff. Indeed, Set the standard showed that more than half those surveyed had experienced at least one incident of bullying, sexual harassment or actual or attempted sexual assault.

We are deeply sorry, and we have to be better—every single one of us, every single day. We must make sure that current and former staff, affected survivors, are involved in these reforms in a meaningful way and feel supported to tell us when we're not doing enough or when we're going too slowly. We must support those who have suffered and who are still suffering from their experience. We must continue the work to establish a robust, independent, confidential complaints process that people can trust and will use. Here in parliament, it is time, finally, for our workplace to set the standard.

In concluding, I'd like to add my thanks to the secretariat of the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce. I thank Dr Vivienne Thom for continuing on in the role until October, and I pay particular thanks to Mr Simon Arnold and Ms Tegan Johnson for the excellent support that they've provided as the secretariat. I wish them the best in their future roles.

It does feel like this place has changed, but we still have so much further to go, and this isn't just a tick-a-box exercise, folks. We really need to hurry up, get on with establishing the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission, agree on giving it strong powers and actually put that work into practice. There's no more time for excuses.