Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Everyone deserves to be safe in their workplace, and Parliament House is no exception to that. It should be the benchmark, a place that girls and women can look to and believe that they belong.

Two years ago, former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins released Set the standard, and she should be commended for her tireless work advocating reform. One thing was clear in the report: things needed to change. The accounts of bullying, sexual harassment and assault were horrific—accounts that are the result of incredible courage by those who chose to tell their stories. They forced important reflection by all of us, on both sides of the chamber, and have forced important action. We need to take this opportunity to change and improve our workplace.

That's why I'm so proud that the government in legislating the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service. This service will provide parliamentarians and their staff with professional support, including advising on codes of conduct, it will be capable of compelling strategic and cultural change, and it will be independent so that everyone is supported and listened to. I congratulate the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce for its work on this legislation and other reform. I think we can all agree on just important it is that this work is bipartisan and that it is beyond politics. When the nation's girls and young women look to this place, to this parliament, they should feel like they belong here. They should feel they are safe here. They should feel they have a future here, because we need more girls and young women to want to take up the responsibility and the honour of representing their communities. So, from an incredibly difficult time for this parliament, it's critical, and it's possible, for us to build a better future together. That's exactly what this suite of reforms will help deliver.