Macedon Free Press Tuesday 30/03/2021 Page: 5 Section: General News Region: Kilmore, AU Circulation: 1134 Type: Regional Size: 370.00 sq.cms. press clip

PM’s inaction in response to treatment of women criticised harassed her in Parliament House. “I think it’s out of step with the By Aleksandra Bliszczyk Tasmanian Liberal Party member rest of ,” he said. Sue Hickey also accused Liberal POLITICAL and social equality lead- “You can find the roughest Senator of ‘slut-shaming’ person around and they would still ers have criticised Prime Minister Ms Higgins and dismissing Mr Por- say ‘nah, this is wrong’. This bloke’s for not taking action ter’s rape allegations. supposed to have been the leader, soon enough to address the ev- Women’s Health Goulburn North and he should’ve done something er-increasing allegations of sexual East chief officer Amanda Kelly said from day one.” assault and harassment in Federal Mr Morrison’s responses to the al- Parliament. Mr Drum said parliament needed legations and to protestors, after better human resources processes Mr Morrison yesterday an- he declined an invitation to attend for victims to report incidents and nounced several changes to minis- the March 4 Justice against sexual feel supported, while Mr Mitch- terial roles, adding one extra female assault and harassment, had in fact ell said a code of conduct and an MP to federal cabinet, taking the demonstrated he doesn’t take the independent review of the allega- total to seven female ministers. issues seriously. tions were critical to changing the Mr Morrison last week acknowl- “The culture in Parliament House culture in parliament. edged the ‘disgraceful acts’ of a doesn’t support a safe and respect- But Ms Kelly said ad-hoc commis- Liberal advisor who was sacked ful work environment, and it appears sions into single incidents rarely that the prime minister isn’t very after the revelations of videos of fixed a systemic issue. keen on doing anything about that. unidentified Coalition advisors al- “What we want is parliament to legedly masturbating on the desks He’s not taking people’s concerns around this seriously,” she said. be held to the highest standard of female MPs. around gender equality and that Ms Kelly said unequal treatment needs to be imbedded not only in across society would continue “As much as it has been a topic their policy but in their law and unless leaders led by example. of discussion here, and around the in their practices. They need to country specifically in relation to “I think that it sets the scene for, address that all of those levels, and for example, schoolboys singing mi- these disgraceful acts, it is some- if it takes women and allies march- sogynist chants on trams and think- thing that has been the lived expe- ing in the street to do that, then ing there’s no problem with that. It rience of Australian women for a we’ll keep doing that,” she said. very long time, and I welcome the sets the example that in other work spotlight that is now being placed places that really this stuff isn’t that on this,” Mr Morrison said. bad and that people can get away The comments were made weeks with behaviour that’s not being managed properly,” she said. after Mr Morrison came under fire for saying he realised the severi- Member for Nicholls Nationals ty of the rape allegations against MP Damian Drum said the alleged a Liberal advisor made by former toxic culture was not a culture he advisor Brittany Higgins, when his had seen, identifying the behav- wife Jenny told him to ‘think about iour as ‘foreign to most members of it as a father first’. Parliament’, but calling for a ‘crack- Ms Higgins’ rape allegations trig- down’ on ‘bad behaviour’. gered an avalanche of allegations “We need to 100 per cent make of sexual assault and harassment sure that this work environment within Federal Parliament and the is 100 per cent safe for everybody Liberal Party, as well as a 1988 rape and that people act with a sense of allegation against the then Attor- respect and responsibility around ney-General . this place,” he said. Harassment and bullying allega- Mr Drum said a cultural change tions against Liberal backbencher needed to evolve ‘in a fluid, natural Andrew Laming formed him to say way’ and wasn’t something that he won’t stand for re-election, were could be legislated. then followed by Victorian Nation- But Minister for McEwen Rob Mitch- als MP Anne Webster lodging a com- ell said Mr Morrison’s actions set a plaint against a man who allegedly negative example for Australians.

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Women’s Health Goulburn North East chief executive Amanda Kelly has called for State Budget funding to address inequality is- sues for women.

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