Jenkins report: How Coalition meeting showed plenty of work needs to be done to improve standing of women

The last week of Parliament in Canberra is often a crazy week of parties, politics and power struggles. It’s called the killing season for a reason and while most interpretations are of that being the knifing of political leaders, it also should refer to the chaos that often ensues in every part of the nation’s centre of democracy as it limps towards the end of the year. At one end-of-year function last Thursday, Northern Territory Senator Sam McMahon allegedly tried to punch the Nationals’ Federal director at the party’s Christmas drinks. The Prime Minister had several events at The Lodge, including for journalists. The PM’s communications director even made a reference to WA’s importance at the pending Federal election. Even Christian Porter — who announced his exit from politics via Facebook on Wednesday — held drinks in his office with former staff on Monday. His new girlfriend, criminal lawyer Karen Espiner, was seen being signed into the building on multiple occasions. But it was a meeting in the middle of the day on Wednesday which I’m going to focus on. It’s probably one of the most shocking of the week and displays just how much work the Parliament — and particularly the Coalition — needs to do if it wants to show it’s serious about the Jenkins inquiry and the treatment of women in the building. Rather than an end-of-year function or even a lunchtime BBQ to acknowledge the bruising year, all Coalition staff were instead called to a meeting in the Great Hall in Parliament. Firstly, there weren’t enough chairs for everyone to sit on. Many staffers, mostly women, were sandwiched in around the sides of the hall — standing for about an hour. At the front of the room was a long table. Scott Morrison, Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, Finance Minister Simon Birmingham, Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie, Minister for Women Marise Payne and Social Services Minister Anne Ruston sat facing the crowd. Liberal Federal director, and former Tony Abbott staffer Andrew Hirst was also there. Attorney-General Michaelia Cash, with her large vivacious personality, hosted. Some remarked it was “like attending a meat raffle at the local RSL”. “And please welcome your Prime Minister Scott Morrison!!!!!” she chanted down the AV system. The meeting was for two purposes. One; an end-of-year, pre-election gee-up and two; to address the serious matters of sexual harassment and the treatment of women as raised in the Jenkins inquiry. That was probably the first error. The juxtaposition of the two issues did not work, nor did the Deputy Prime Minister Joyce’s remarks that “I know you’d all much rather be drinking mango daiquiris than sitting here right now”. This was from a man who stood down amid a media storm in 2018 following revelations he had an affair with a former staffer Vikki Campion who he now has two children with. It also followed the Jenkins inquiry which skewered the over-reliance on alcohol within politics. The report made 222 individual references to alcohol and has an entire chapter on alcohol use. “Playing hard” was seen to be a response to the all-consuming nature of the work, allowing people to “let off steam”. For many, this involved using alcohol as a coping mechanism, or as a conduit for socialising with colleagues, the Sex Discrimination Commissioner’s executive summary states. “In some situations, unsafe drinking and blurred professional boundaries fostered environments where sexual harassment or sexual assault could occur.” Tone deaf, much? Joyce did not respond to The West Australian’s request for comment yesterday and no one was rushing to defend his remarks. The PM started his remarks by asking the hundreds of staff present to “close your eyes and visualise the day after the election”. Then, following remarks about the culture for women inside Parliament House and the Jenkins inquiry — where he made no specific reference to the supports people could reach out to if they needed help — he ended with “I will pray for healing”. Some women walked out, feeling the tone was completely off. Others who were there said they “wanted to leave but felt trapped”. The sensible interventions came from Birmingham and Payne. Payne, who despite being Minister for Women keeps a relatively low profile, has been in politics her entire career. She told the room: “I remember being a staffer in Old Parliament House and I was treated badly as a young female staffer”. Birmingham was by far the most heartfelt. He told the room if they were “triggered”, where exactly they could go for help. “Please approach my office. Come and speak to me, my door is always open.” One thing is certain. The meeting missed the mark and showed how much work still needs to be done. Staff should not have been subjected to a smash-up of election gee-up, daiquiri-joking rhetoric combined with the serious issues and events detailed in the Jenkins inquiry. Tone and language matters. How things are addressed matters. I doubt any of this was done maliciously. People —including the PM and Joyce — no doubt thought they were doing the right thing. But this is the point. It’s often the thoughtlessness about other people’s perception and experiences that allow the culture to foster. Parliament will never function properly without men in the building taking time to think and remember their perception of things might be very different to the women in the room. And Parliament will never function properly unless there are strong women in the room, in the inner circles of power, standing up and being listened to when they say something is not quite right with the approach. Lanai Scarr is The West Australian’s Federal Political Editor

Jenkins report: How Coalition meeting showed plenty of work needs to be done to improve standing of women

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