Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today marks 10 years since Tony Abbott's stood on the lawns of this parliament and ridiculed our first female Prime Minister with signs instructing Australia to 'ditch the witch'. It was disgusting, despicable behaviour. And not much has changed. Today we see the Prime Minister berating journalists and questioning their right to probe him and his ministers on the government's handling of sexual harassment in this place. It is a pattern: berate, undermine, nothing to see here. But these are not small misdemeanours: we're talking about rape, sexual assault and lewd, unacceptable behaviour. Until the Prime Minister steps up and takes some responsibility and shows leadership, nothing will change. The Prime Minister could have stood up on live TV today and offered answers and committed to real and meaningful action. Instead, all he committed to was fake remorse and crocodile tears. Women want to see our Prime Minister put aside the spin and show more compassion and care for all those women who have bravely stepped forward. All women want systematic change. I will continue to fight every day to create a place where women feel valued, respected and supported and where, above all, when women step up and speak out, we listen and we act. We are leaders and the community expects us to do nothing less. This has reached a tipping point. We must do better.