Commissioner Jenkins urges NSW parliament to address harassment and bullying

Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins demanded quick action to fight harassment and bullying in New South Wales (NSW) Parliament, the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) recently announced.

HRD had previously reported on the investigation made in the NSW Parliament, which revealed that certain offices were “well-known hotspots” for damaging behaviors.

Additionally, based on the report, HRD revealed that more than a third of employees testified that they suffered harassment, bullying, or sexual misconduct over the past five years in the workplace.

HRD further stated that among the reforms recommended are the review of the Members of Parliament Staff Act, mandatory training for all parliament members, and examining how staff can safely lodge complaints.

Following the findings about the NSW Parliament workplace culture, the government has called for the urgent implementation of these reforms.

The government’s responsibility

According to AHRC’s media release, Jenkins has “welcomed the release” of the report undertaken by Elizabeth Broderick & Co.

Moreover, Jenkins said the report’s findings are primarily “concerning,” emphasizing that the parliament should be a role model and set the standard for other workplaces.

“It’s important that the NSW Parliament committed to undertaking this review, and it’s vital that it now acts swiftly to implement the recommendations in the report,” Jenkins said in AHRC’s media release.

The commissioner also said that Australia is currently at a turning point concerning workplace sexual harassment, sexual assault, and bullying cases.

“It’s encouraging to see so many industries embracing the lessons of the recent Respect@Work inquiry and taking action to address sexual harassment,” Jenkins said. “This includes the mining, legal, retail, sport, university, media and entertainment sectors. Parliaments now need to do the same.”

Jenkins said she also once led the review of the Australian parliament’s workplace culture in 2021 and welcomed the Commonwealth’s acceptance of her recommendations and actions to address the identified issues.

“We know from this inquiry that issues of sexual harassment, sexual assault and bullying are prevalent in parliaments across the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Scotland, and New Zealand,” Jenkins said.

“I note that similar reviews of parliamentary workplace culture have also been undertaken in South Australia and Tasmania,” she added.

The commissioner also encouraged other states and territories to follow suit because the government should mainly address issues of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and bullying across the nation.