Demand transparency and accountability for MP violence or harassment
In recent years public allegations of rape, physical abuse, and sexual harassment were made against several members of parliament.
Now, a new code of conduct for parliamentarians and parliamentary staff has been put in place. Soon, members of the federal parliament will get to decide what consequences will follow if it is violated.
Our parliament should be a shining example of a safe and respectful workplace, free from discrimination and gendered violence. When our elected officials fail to uphold the standards set in their code of conduct, it. It erodes our trust in democracy. So it’s crucial that there is transparency and accountability if a member of parliament violates these standards.
The Albanese Government has committed to set up an independent oversight body to enforce standards across the parliament – but without the right powers, there is a risk it will not be able to deliver the change needed. We need to make sure it is given the power to enable real transparency and accountability.
This is about delivering a system that holds our parliamentarians, and those who make the decisions about our lives, to account.
Can you help show that voters want an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission that delivers transparency and accountability if MPs perpetrate violence, or engage in other misconduct?
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The Sex Discrimination Commissioner’s Set the Standard Report laid out a high-level roadmap for change to address gender-based violence in our federal parliament.
The Albanese Government has agreed to implement the Report’s recommendations - but those don’t specify these key details that we know will be critical to its success.
The level of power, scope and resourcing the soon-to-be-created Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission is provided will determine whether it can deliver the transparency and accountability needed to deliver real change. And whether it can provide the functions necessary to deliver meaningful enforcement of the MP Code of Conduct.
We need this body to have the powers for:
- Public disclosure: That means the ability to publicly report if an MP is found to have perpetrated violence or other harmful conduct that breaches their Code of Conduct (if the complainant gives their consent),
- Meaningful consequences: That means the authority to implement and recommend a full range of sanctions that reflect the seriousness of the harm or misconduct, and any additional duties or powers of the MP responsible;
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Transparency of recommended sanctions: That means the power to disclose the body's recommended sanctions when those rely on a vote in parliament or a political party; so the public can see whether someone’s colleagues have actually implemented the recommended sanctions in full.
This is critical because if an MP engages in serious misconduct, the most serious consequences - like removing them from additional roles or leadership positions, limiting their budget, or suspending them from parliament - can only be enforced by the houses of parliament, or their own political party (which means a vote from their colleagues).
This is about delivering a system that holds our parliamentarians, and those who make the decisions about our lives, to account.
The public deserves to know that if our representatives are breaching standards, particularly related to gender-based violence and discrimination.