Editorial: First-hand accounts of toxic culture in the Federal Parliament are enough to make you sick

The damning investigation into the toxic culture at Parliament House contains more than 400-pages of horror findings. Not least that one-in-three people working in the Federal Parliament has suffered sexual harassment. But it’s the firsthand accounts of the 1723 people who contributed to Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ landmark report that will leave you most shocked. In today’s editorial, we recount a selection that demonstrate the predatory environment at Australia’s seat of power. And it’s enough to make you sick. One person talked about “aspiring male politicians who thought nothing of, in one case, picking you up, kissing you on the lips, lifting you up, touching you, pats on the bottom, comments about appearance, you know, the usual ... the culture allowed it.” Another told how “the MP sitting beside me leaned over. Also thinking he wanted to tell me something, I leaned in. He grabbed me and stuck his tongue down my throat. The others all laughed. It was revolting and humiliating”. “Frequently, like at least every week, the advice was go and cry in the toilet so that nobody can see you, because that’s what it’s like up here,” someone recalled. After one person complained about being sexually harassed by an MP, they said they were told “it was part of my job to get along with MPs and staff from all sides of politics, so that we could get things done in the chamber, and that this kind of thing was part and parcel of ‘getting along’. The implication was that this was not only to be tolerated by me, but actively sought out and encouraged, and that I should do whatever it takes to grease the wheel for future negotiations and the good of the party”. One contributor said a colleague tried to commit suicide and another admitted themselves to a mental health facility, while three women were seeing psychologists. “One had a marriage breakdown and one has completely dislocated with her children as a result of the direct influence of that member of Parliament. I will never work in a political office again, it’s not worth it,” they said. Another described Parliament House as “the most sexist place I’ve worked”. “I guess there is a workplace culture of drinking. There’s not a lot of accountability. The boys are lads. And that behaviour is celebrated and ... they do treat women, our female staffers and female admin staff, quite differently. Young women, particularly media advisers coming in, particularly the younger women coming in, were like fresh meat and challenges,” they said. “MPs can run their office exactly as they like and they know that they don’t have to answer to anyone,” one person said. “The power imbalance is just so blatant, it’s impossible to provide a safe working environment for staff.” These accounts make sobering, and depressing, reading. Many will wonder if we can get rid of such rot. Ms Jenkins’ 28 recommendations are a good place to start. Responsibility for the editorial comment is taken by WAN Editor-in-Chief Anthony De Ceglie