Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian music industry study released this month, Raising their voices, revealed high rates of sexual harassment, sexual harm and bullying, and called for an industry-wide approach to the respond to the findings. Musicians I know were not shocked or surprised, but feel the report validates their fears and experiences of some terrible workplaces and sexism. The data backs calls that brave people have made for change within the industry, and I thank all of those who have spoken out and shared some truly awful stories.

Everyone should have a safe workplace, whether it's an office or a music festival, no matter the time of day or night, no matter their gender, whether they're young or whether they're of diverse backgrounds. One of the biggest challenges in the report is that perpetrators are rarely held to account, and people fear speaking out because they're worried about their careers. Eighty-two per cent didn't report incidents of sexual harm or harassment, and only three per cent made a formal complaint. More than half of those who did were dissatisfied with the outcome.

The positive in the report is that there is a strong appetite for widespread and sustainable cultural change. Our Respect@Work legislation that was introduced today will help, and our national cultural policy may well play a significant role. I'll be supporting change in any way I can.