Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese government claims to champion the victim, but as time goes by it's becoming more and more evident that this Prime Minister and his colleagues in both chambers have been up to their necks creating victims for their own political gain. I congratulate the Australian newspaper for continuing to pursue honest reporting on the Brittany Higgins case, which has demonstrated how this Prime Minister and his government pursued a political outcome rather than a proper judicial conclusion. Not only has it brought the Labor Party's behaviour into further disrepute; we're now getting a taste of how questionably the ACT's Director of Public Prosecutions acted in the matter as well.

Sadly, this isn't out of character for Prime Minister Albanese. You see, the PM covertly plays the man, not the ball. We're seeing that play out with his attacks on those who speak out against his Voice to Parliament as well as those involved in the Higgins case. We saw it play out in the case of Peter Slipper, who, without question, sexually harassed James Ashby. The Prime Minister picks winners and losers based on politics. If you're on the wrong side of his political agenda, prepare to get whacked. The price tag for a political scandal is now set at a minimum cost of $2 million, and the Prime Minister picks young, vulnerable targets.

It's the exact same behaviour he exhibited as Leader of the House under Julia Gillard. Desperate to keep Peter Slipper in as Speaker, the member for Grayndler helped change management liability insurance arrangements for MPs and senators that effectively gave Peter Slipper a blank cheque to defend himself against multiple sexual harassment claims brought against him. Just like in the Higgins matter, Prime Minister Albanese picked his winner, then set about deliberately annihilating the credibility and reputation of James Ashby in an attempt to save Peter Slipper, instead of allowing the court process to play out. Despite a successful appeal by Mr Ashby, Labor continued to torch the victim by allowing Peter Slipper to run James Ashby's legal bills up to $4.5 million.

This was the first time a staffer had had the courage to publicly fight, instead of the long history of staff who have been mistreated and then encouraged to quietly go away. The Jenkins and Foster reviews have confirmed this very fact in black and white. Let me read you some of the text messages Peter Slipper sent to his staff member. On 10 October 2011 he sent:

Funny how we say that a person is a cunt when many guys like cunts!;)

In a follow-up message that same day, the Speaker wrote:

They look like a mussell removed from its shell. Look at a bottle of mussel meat! Salty Cunts in brine!

These are text messages from the former Speaker of the House, handpicked by the now PM, Anthony Albanese, and defended by then prime minister Julia Gillard. Despite the nature of these messages, Labor had the gall to claim Mr Ashby's case was politically motivated. The sexual harassment got worse, from punishment for not accepting sexual advances—again in text messages—to asking Mr Ashby why he didn't shower with the door open when the two shared an apartment on a trip to Canberra. While it might be common practice for parliamentarians to share apartments with staff or other politicians in Canberra, it's highly abnormal for them to ask their roommate why they shower with the door closed.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order, Senator Hanson. Please pause the clock. Quoting from other sources does not make it any less disorderly in terms of reflecting on members of the other place. I would like to call your attention to the standing orders and for you to consider that in the remainder of your remarks.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unfortunately for Mr Ashby, there was no adequate complaint and reporting process for this sort of behaviour in parliament until after the Jenkins review a decade later. Even the Department of Finance has acknowledged this, and yet the department plays an active role in preserving this appalling culture. Politicians do the dirty business, and the department gags victims with nondisclosure agreements. It's a well-oiled machine that enables political Harvey Weinsteins to go on their merry way with hardly any consequences or accountability. It's a disgusting ecosystem of abuse and suppression, enabled by the systemic role of the department in covering up misconduct by both sides, and it's in desperate need of its own inquiry. What the public don't realise is that Slipper was a prolific predator who was allowed to exploit young male victims unhindered, and his recurring conduct was enabled by the Department of Finance, with payout after payout.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, I call your attention to the standing orders in terms of reflecting on members of the other place.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They're not a member of the other place at this time, so therefore I have every right to disclose what was in text messages and before the courts.

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm sure that, under the standing orders, people will draw their own attention to the remarks that you have made. I'll let you continue.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But, when one of his victims had the courage to stand up, that victim was ground down by the deep pockets of the department. One of Slipper's young male staff members who alleged sexual harassment felt forced to record a video of Slipper's conduct in order to put an end to the harassment. Of course this video never saw the light of day, but sworn evidence exists from someone who has no vested interest whatsoever, who was at the young male staffer's house when he was visited through the window by Mr Slipper and who saw the video. That video was brought to the attention of then Prime Minister John Howard, but he didn't want to know about it when Slipper was a sitting member of his party. By Mr Howard's ignoring Slipper's behaviour, he unconsciously helped cover up Slipper's actions, which eventually created more victims of Mr Slipper, a serial sexual predator. Another young male member of Slipper's staff suddenly disappeared and, when approached to give evidence, had legal advice to not discuss what had happened. The gag was so tight that the only person who would talk was the young man's mother, who said to Mr Ashby, 'My sister said that one day God would send a person to put a stop to Slipper's behaviour, and maybe you're that person.' There was another man in Queensland to whom Slipper made sexual advances at the same time he was recruiting James Ashby.

The story of Peter Slipper and his time in office is a story of repeated sexual harassment of young gay staffers that he recruited to work for him. He abused his office, which had a constant stream of bright and ambitious young men that he would groom for his own gratification. He did all this while hiding behind the facade that he was a married man and a person who had the integrity and moral standing to hold an elected office. When James Ashby had the courage to kick off proceedings against Slipper and the Commonwealth, the Labor government brought all of its wrath and resources down upon James. The Commonwealth itself blew $800,000 of taxpayer money to run Mr Ashby into the ground before the matter even reached a hearing. That in itself is an absolute disgrace. Then the Labor Party spent millions defending Mr Slipper but not the victim. James Ashby settled his case with the Commonwealth in order to focus on bringing Mr Slipper to justice and on stopping his conduct. Mr Ashby settled for a paltry $50,000 plus an important commitment that the Commonwealth would implement sexual harassment training for all elected members. Mr Ashby did not anticipate that the government would not only fail to properly introduce that training but would also bankroll Mr Slipper's continued legal defence and conduct.

The Labor government would go on to exclude parliamentary staff from whistleblower protection legislation being proposed in the parliament and pass further legislation that would fund the legal defence of political Harvey Weinsteins while leaving their victims to fend for themselves. Worse still, this parliament hangs a prominent portrait of a sexual predator in the Mural Hall, to rub further salt into the wounds of his victims. It's time the PM answers a simple question: why will his government pay millions in compensation to Brittany Higgins, yet when the overwhelming evidence that led to the unprecedented and historical resignation of the Speaker was presented he has not even offered Mr Ashby an apology and to cover his legal costs for the hell he was put through? It's time the Labor government right this travesty and cover Mr Ashby's legal costs and correct this shameful injustice.