A decision taken while the government of Scott Morrison navigates in a tense climate, a few weeks after rape accusations affecting two ministers.
It’s official, the Conservative government of Scott Morrison has just decided: Australian parliamentarians will now be subject to regulations on sexual harassment at work.
The new measure comes amid a very tense political context, as Australia faces a wave of public anger after accusations of sexual assault in Parliament.
On Tuesday April 6, it was the Prime Minister of Queensland – Annastacia Palaszczuk – who had asked the Prime Minister of the country – Scott Morrison – to convene a National Summit to fight against gender inequalities.
Over the weekend, the Australian head of state said his government would revise gender discrimination legislation so that parliamentarians, magistrates and civil servants are held accountable for harassment of their colleagues in the workplace. Indeed, the latter still currently enjoy immunity from harassment in the workplace, even if they may be subject to criminal prosecution in the event of sexual assault.
Harassment at work, now considered as “serious misconduct”
Recall that in February, Brittany Higgins, a former government employee, claimed to have been raped in 2019 by a colleague in the office in Parliament of Linda Reynolds, at the time Minister of Defense Industry. This accusation paved the way for a free speech, questioning sexist practices deeply rooted in the political culture of the country. At the end of March, the dissemination of videos showing employees of the Australian Conservative government engaging in sexual acts in Parliament had further weakened the executive… Across the country, thousands of Australians had taken part in “March4Justice ”(March for justice), demand in particular equal treatment between the sexes.
In addition, sexual harassment at work will now be reclassified as “serious misconduct”, transforming it into a valid reason for dismissal. Finally, the government plans to extend the period during which a victim can report an incident from six months to two years.
Emma Rouan
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