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RUBY:

From Schwartz Media I’m Ruby Jones, this is 7am.

A new report by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner has revealed more about the toxic workplace culture in Parliament House - with nearly half the women working there experiencing sexual harassment and bullying.

But almost immediately after the report was released, a number of fresh allegations and scandals emerged in Parliament, demonstrating just how deep the problem is.

Today, Chief Political Correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton on what the Jenkins Report tells us about Australia’s political culture, and why it’s taking so long to change.

It’s Wednesday, December 8.

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RUBY:

Karen, you've been a political reporter in Canberra for a long time, and we've spoken before about the culture in Parliament and the way that women in particular are treated. Last week, a report into that exact issue was released. We'll talk about that later, but it does feel like this moment was a long time coming. Does it feel that way to you?

KAREN:

Yes, we have seen these issues come and go, come and go and then build up a real head of steam in the last year or two.

Archival tape -- Protestors chanting:

“Women are getting mighty bold!”

KAREN:

We had the MeToo movement, which focussed attention on this.

Archival tape -- Protestors chanting:

We don’t stand for sexist shit...

KAREN:

I wrote about some of my experiences in political journalism with sexual harassment and a little bit worse five years ago in The Saturday Paper, and that caused a bit of reaction. And then last year, we had the Four Corners programme Inside the Canberra Bubble...

Archival tape -- Louise Milligan:

“Tonight on Four Corners we go inside the Canberra bubble with an investigation that questions the conduct of some of the most senior politicians in the nation…”

KAREN:

...which was Louise Milligan's look at some of these allegations involving federal ministers and alleged behaviour.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“It was a highly sexualized environment at times…”

KAREN:

And then in the course of that, we heard from a former Liberal Party staffer, Rochelle Miller, who had worked for Minister Alan Tudge and had had a consensual affair with him that was dating back to 2017.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“So what I’m trying to do by speaking to you is stand up for myself and say this isn’t okay, the behaviour wasn’t okay and the culture’s is not okay and there should be something done about it.”

KAREN:

And then last week, Rochelle Miller came forward to add more detail to what she alleges happened between the two.

RUBY:

And so, as you say, we we heard Rochelle Miller, who's this former staffer, to a federal minister speaking about that relationship on Four Corners last year, and that was one of many accounts of life in politics for women that really contributed to this workplace reckoning that we've seen in Canberra. Can you tell me a bit more about what Rochelle said back then and what she's saying now about this relationship?

KAREN:

Yes. So initially, Rochelle Miller described what she said was a consensual relationship with Minister Alan Tudge.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“I have a feeling that my appearance had a bearing on why Alan would want to walk in with me on his arm - and I felt at the time a lot like an ornament, and that I was being used…”

KAREN:

Back in 2017, she was his media adviser, and they developed a relationship, an extramarital relationship on both of their parts. And she detailed that and the fact that it had fallen apart and raised some criticisms and concerns last year when she spoke to the ABC's Louise Milligan.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“I lost a lot of self-confidence because I didn’t feel I had any power at all to be able to stand up for myself, I was just exhausted, you know, really exhausted.”

KAREN:

The government actually tried to stop that Four Corners report from going to air. And after it was broadcast, the Prime Minister said he didn't need to investigate any further because all of this had happened under Malcolm Turnbull's government, not under his government. And there hadn't been any breaches of the Ministerial Code of Conduct while he was Prime Minister.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“Thank you for coming, thank you very much…”

KAREN:

And then last week, Rochelle Miller came to Parliament House.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“You guys know you’re the ones who enable our voices…”

KAREN:

And made a statement to the media detailing more about what happened between her and Alan Tudge.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“This relationship was defined by significant power imbalance. It was emotionally and on one occasion, physically abusive relationship.”

KAREN:

Rochelle Miller told one particular story about being in Western Australia in Kalgoorlie ahead of an important announcement on social services. She said she and the minister had got back to the hotel quite late. She was exhausted because of the work she was doing and getting ready for this announcement, and she was hoping to go to bed early.

But he saw the bar in the hotel and…

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“He said, let's get a drink. I could never say no to him by this stage. I just did whatever he said because it was easier. I just didn't want the conflict…”

KAREN:

She said they drank a lot in the hotel bar. She doesn't remember getting back to the hotel room, and she woke up in the dark naked. She says at four in the morning with her phone ringing.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“Then I felt someone kicking me on the side of my hip and leg as I tried to sit up in bed.”

KAREN:

And that he was angry that he'd been woken up by the ringing phone and that he physically kicked her out of bed onto the floor.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“He was furious, telling me to get the fuck out of his bed.”

KAREN:

She told that story to illustrate what she says was the sort of relationship it had become, and that it was the damaging relationship allegedly for her.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“We should not have to fight. We have no fight left. Why is it up to the women survivors to fight for change?”

KAREN:

Now, Alan Tudge has denied that. He says that he completely and utterly rejects her version of events.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“Thank you, I’m not taking questions…”

RUBY:

Hmm. OK, so Rochelle Miller is making allegations that go beyond what was in the original Four Corners report. She's saying that the relationship with Alan Tudge was abusive. He denies that. But what has the response been more broadly to what she said?

KAREN:

Well, of course, it became a flashpoint. And the Prime Minister's response was quite swift.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“I rise on indulgence to refer to the statement made earlier today by Miss Miller and the allegations regarding her relationship with Minister Tudge.”

KAREN:

It was the final day of parliament for the year, and he came out before question time and said that Alan Tudge would be standing aside from his position as a cabinet minister and that Scott Morrison was initiating an investigation into these allegations.

Archival tape -- Scott Morrison:

“Given the seriousness of these claims made by Miss Miller, it is important that these matters be resolved fairly and expeditiously.”

KAREN:

He had appointed his department to oversee that, and it, in turn, was appointing Dr Vivienne Thom, who's a former senior public servant and senior figure in the intelligence community, to run that inquiry.

RUBY:

Ok so that seems like I suppose a fairly strong response, and something quite different to what we’ve seen in the past, when allegations have been made against Ministers. What’s changed?

KAREN:

Well, I think timing is everything.

So all the tensions around the last week of Parliament really sort of exploded on Thursday with Rochelle Miller's allegations because they came just two days after Kate Jenkins, the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, presented her report about what goes on in Parliament House.

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“I ask every person in power in this building to ensure that the Jenkins review recommendations are implemented in full.”

Archival tape -- Rochelle Miller:

“You have the power. We do not. We are asking you to do this. The Prime Minister may not hold a hose, but he has the power.. he can do this now.”

RUBY:

We’ll be back in a moment.

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RUBY:

Karen, last week, after a long wait, we saw the release of a report into parliamentary workplace culture. It was released by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. So, can you tell me more about what prompted her investigation and what the report actually said?

KAREN:

Well, in the wake of Brittany Higgins’ allegations early in the year and then the great outpouring of emotion and anger, I guess, from people outside the parliament and inside about the things that go on there. That report was commissioned, that review and it came back with, I suppose not surprising, but shocking is the way it's been described. Detail of the sorts of things that go on in Parliament House, there were more than 900 people who participated in the review. Members of Parliament, their staff and other people who work in the building and in the media.

And I, I was one of the people who made a submission, and the report had some pretty terrible statistics in it. It found that one in three people working in Parliament House and the precincts of Parliament had experienced sexual harassment. It found that 51 per cent had experienced at least one incident of bullying, harassment or actual or attempted sexual assault, and that more than 75 per cent had either witnessed or experienced it. So, you know, the numbers are pretty terrible.

They also conducted a survey of people who were participating in this review, and they estimate based on that that about one per cent of those who work in Parliament House have been victims of actual or attempted rape or other sexual assault. So that would suggest that Brittany Higgins allegations are certainly not isolated in terms of what goes on in the building.

RUBY:

Mmm, and what kind of impact has the report had now a week on or so since it landed? Have politicians in Canberra been responding?

KAREN:

Well, I think it was probably a little disappointing if I can speak personally because within hours we saw the parliament revert to type.

Archival tape -- Senator Hanson-Young:

“I don't think it's appropriate, given what has been handed down today, to have growling and dog noises coming from this side of the chamber while a female member in this place is on her feet.”

KAREN:

We saw kind of abusive language going on in the Senate.

Archival tape -- Senator Penny Wong:

“At least fess up. Gee you’re tough aren’t you - you’re happy to dish it out but not happy to take responsibility, I mean really. ‘Growling’ Mr President!”

KAREN:

Jacqui Lambie, the independent senator from Tasmania, was on her feet speaking and a male senator from across the chamber, who was later identified as Liberal senator David Vann, made some kind of noise while heckling.

Archival tape -- Senator Jacqui Lambie:

“It is not okay at all. We're supposed to be looked on. We're supposed to be leaders. And this sort of umm this is what's going on up here. So quite frankly, I find it quite shameful.”

KAREN:

Now it was described by others as being a dog noise, dog bark or a growl. Senator Van got up later and apologised once he'd been named as the person involved.

Archival tape -- Senator David Vann:

“I do regret the interjections and I apologise to Senator Lambie and to the Senate unreservedly.”

KAREN:

So that was a bit unedifying. And then we saw...

Archival tape -- Senator Ben Small:

“Senator Thorpe just made the most outrageous statement directed at Senator Hughes, which you probably didn't hear.”

KAREN:

The Greens senator Lidia Thorpe, had to apologise in parliament after she shouted a pretty disgusting sexualised slur at Liberal senator Holly Hughes.

Archival tape -- Senator Ben Small:

“In the scheme of disgusting statements made in this chamber that surely ranks at the top of them.”

KAREN:

She shouted out to Holly Hughes “Well, at least I keep my legs shut.”

Archival tape -- Senator Lidia Thorpe:

“I just want to unreservedly take back my comments that I made earlier and I apologise to umm that senator.”

KAREN:

She apologised, and just before the Jenkins report was tabled in the Coalition's weekly party room meeting, we'd had the Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, giving an address and offering what one of his colleagues described as pastoral advice, which was effectively - this is the last week of Parliament, there'll be lots of parties there'll be drinking. Can you just make sure you look after each other? And if people are getting drunk, don't let them get into trouble.

So preferably ensure that they don't end up with their photographs in the paper. And if they're getting a bit wobbly to call them a cab and not just call them a cab, but put them in a cab. And what has been noted since is that he didn't say, don't get drunk. He did say, don't get caught.

RUBY:

Right - so in the same week the Jenkins report is released we have all these politicians who are clearly not really taking the issue very seriously. What are the chances then of real action on addressing the problem - which is that Parliament is essentially an unsafe workplace for so many women? Do you think that that is likely to change Karen?

KAREN:

Well, that's the big question. I mean, the Prime Minister praised Kate Jenkins for her work, that she'd done an outstanding job in identifying all these things, but he has not yet committed to acting on all the recommendations that she made.

So it remains to be seen. I think it's really important that these things are dealt with and discussed in public. We always hear the old cliché about sunlight, but it is true that while things are kept secret and hidden, they flourish and they're much more likely to be addressed and then hopefully become less prevalent if they are addressed in public and being seen to be addressed.

RUBY:

Hmm. OK. And so, Karen, what was it like for you as you read through this report? Because, I mean, this is your workplace too, I guess.

KAREN:

Yes, well, it was interesting and I guess upsetting to read just how extensive those experiences are.

We knew that this was a building that had a problem with a toxic culture, but when you see it all in black and white, it is pretty confronting and it's very clear that something needs to be done. And I think personally speaking, the recommendations that Kate Jenkins has made are very sensible, certainly in terms of the employment structures for parliamentary staff they need addressing. We need a more diverse parliament that has people of different genders. We need a code of conduct that applies more forcefully to all the people in the parliament and in ways that they can report misconduct so that there's greater accountability so that there are extensive recommendations that Kate Jenkins has made. And it would be really good, I think, if we saw some action to commit to enacting those.

RUBY:

Karen, thank you so much for your time.

KAREN:

Thanks very much, Ruby.

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RUBY:

Also in the news today,

More than 350 schools in New South Wales have been closed after public school teachers walked off the job in protest.

Teachers on strike have called for higher wages and an end to staff shortages.

And acting Nationals leader David Littleproud has counselled federal MP George Christensen after he appeared on a far right American TV show, criticising vaccinations and public health restrictions.

Speaking to Alex Jones on his “Infowars” program, Christensen called on listeners to hold rallies outside Australian embassies around the world.

I’m Ruby Jones, this is 7am. See you tomorrow.

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