Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, on behalf of the Australian Labor Party I thank you for your statement of acknowledgement today. The last passage in particular struck a poignant chord. While we know we cannot undo the harm that has already been done, we are committed to acknowledging the mistakes of the past and continuing to build safe and respectful workplaces.

The President is correct: we cannot undo the harm. For all the words in the Jenkins review and all the speeches that will be given here today, nothing we can say will undo the harm that countless staff have experienced in this workplace, and that is simply because we are too late. Too many people have been harmed. Bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault have all been able to occur—in some cases fester—in this workplace. Like many senators here today, I have sat opposite too many people as they have described to me the harms that they have endured in this building. As they have cried, we have cried. As they have expressed their anger, we have felt that anger. As they have grieved, we have grieved.

I have grieved for their harm, but I have also grieved for the harm that has taken place while they've worked here in Parliament House, a workplace that should represent a highlight in any career. Parliament House, our workplace, should act as a model for others and be something that all Australians look to with pride. It's a place that should attract the best talent from across the country and indeed the globe, with people jostling to work with their elected representatives to build a better Australia. But too often, as the Jenkins review has shown, we've let our staff down. For that, to all our staff, past and present, we say sorry. On behalf of the Australian Labor Party in this place, I say sorry.

Sadly, in my conversations—as, I'm sure, in many of the conversations others in this chamber have had—too many victims have questioned their own actions. They have asked: 'What did I do wrong that caused this? If I'd done things differently, could I have avoided this harm?' Of course the answer is that they did nothing wrong. There is nothing wrong with expecting your workplace to be safe. There is nothing wrong with expecting your workplace to be free of sexual harassment and the crime of sexual assault. There's nothing wrong with expecting your workplace to be deliberately fostering a positive, respectful culture where you can feel safe at work, and yet this workplace, Parliament House, has not lived up to these basic standards.

A culture has developed here, over the decades, where too often bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault have not been confronted. Indeed, in some cases they have been deliberately ignored or covered up. Is this behaviour occurring everywhere in this workplace? No. But could this behaviour occur anywhere in this workplace? To that question, regrettably, we all must answer yes. That is why we are here today—to both acknowledge the harm which we cannot undo and to embark on a fearless trajectory to help build a workplace where the expected standards of behaviour are modelled, championed and enforced, a workplace where respectful behaviour is rewarded and in which any Australian, no matter their gender, race, sexual orientation, disability status or age, feels safe and welcome to contribute.

To those who bravely stepped into the media spotlight this past year to say enough is enough and to call for change: we are all in your debt. Without the courage of Brittany Higgins and others, the Jenkins review might never have happened. Without the Jenkins review, the hundreds of staff who contributed to the review might never have had the chance to have their voices heard. To every staff member, both current and former, who contributed to the Jenkins review, we say thank you.

While these speeches will finish today, the real work for us is just beginning. The Jenkins review lays out the challenge before us and the road map for change. Maps are not always perfect; course corrections are sometimes needed. But what we must not change is our commitment to building a better workplace. Australians will be watching what happens here, as will our staff, as the Jenkins review is implemented. Australians, rightly, will not accept another generation of parliamentary staff being harmed because of our inaction. The challenge is ours, and it is a challenge I am sure this chamber can unite around.