Australia’s Parliament House remains an unsafe workplace despite recent efforts to address misconduct, according to a new report revealing rape, assault, and stalking among the serious allegations handled by its fledgling human resources body. The sobering findings have renewed calls for broader reforms to improve the culture and accountability within the nation’s highest office.
Disturbing Allegations Surface in Parliament’s First HR Report
In its inaugural annual report, the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) disclosed that it managed 339 cases in its first nine months of operation, from October 2023 to June 2024. Alarmingly, 30 of those cases were classified as serious wrongdoing, encompassing allegations of rape, assault, sexual harassment, stalking, and intimidation.
The PWSS was established in October 2023 as part of the response to the landmark Set the Standard report spearheaded by former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. That damning review, prompted by the alleged rape of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins in a ministerial office, found that more than half of respondents had experienced bullying, sexual harassment, or actual or attempted sexual assault while working in parliamentary offices.
People use the expression ‘sexual assault’ to describe a wide range of conduct, from feeling uncomfortable about how a person looked at them to what would be a traditional use of the word rape.
– PWSS Annual Report
While the PWSS report noted that the term “sexual assault” was used broadly and likely encompassed behavior that would fall short of rape allegations, the figures paint a grim picture of the challenges that remain in making Parliament a safe and respectful workplace. Beyond the most egregious cases, the body also handled 33 cases of bullying, 90 workplace conflicts, and 62 cases related to family violence, alcohol and drug use, or mental health concerns.
Ministers: Parliament “Still an Unsafe Place to Work”
Reacting to the report, Health Minister Mark Butler pulled no punches in his assessment of the revelations, describing the figures as “deeply concerning” and conceding that Parliament still had “a long way to go” to live up to its obligation to provide a safe and respectful workplace.
We’ve responded to the Set the Standard Report a few years ago and put in place these structures that give people an avenue to make these official complaints. But we’ve got to do better: this is the nation’s parliament. And clearly, it’s still an unsafe place to work, for too many people.
– Mark Butler, Health Minister
For his part, Nationals leader David Littleproud argued that the increased number of complaints suggested people felt more empowered to come forward, indicating that “those reforms are slowly working.” However, he acknowledged that “we can all do better, whether it be in Parliament House or outside Parliament House.”
Independent Commission Established, But Concerns Linger
To address misconduct concerns, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission was launched in September 2023. The body is empowered to handle less serious complaints directly, imposing sanctions like training, professional development, or behavior agreements.
However, more serious cases must be referred to the Privileges Committee, a panel of government and opposition members, to determine appropriate penalties. Those sanctions can include fines between 2% to 5% of an MP’s salary, suspension from Parliament, or removal from committees.
Despite this new framework, some crossbench MPs argue it doesn’t go far enough. In particular, concerns have been raised about the conduct of MPs during Question Time, with behavior described as “condescending,” “aggressive,” and “misogynistic.” Remarks made in the chambers are protected by parliamentary privilege and fall outside the new standards and complaints mechanisms.
Enough is enough.
– Kylea Tink, Independent MP
- Since May 2022, nearly 200 MPs have been ejected from Question Time for “disorderly conduct”
- Of those, 161 were Coalition members, 36 Labor, and 1 from the Greens
With the PWSS findings thrusting the issue of parliamentary workplace culture back into the spotlight, the pressure is on Australia’s political leaders to demonstrate that they can hold themselves to the same standards of safety, respect, and accountability that are rightly demanded in every other Australian workplace. As the first annual report makes clear, that remains a work in progress.
