Let the Independent Parliamentary Commission enforce sanctions
against MPs found to be bullying and misogynist

WEL urges the Government to seriously consider amendments to strengthen the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Amendment (Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission) Bill now being debated in Parliament (also HERE).

The Set the Standard Report found that Parliament was an unsafe, hyper masculinised and often misogynistic workplace that was especially disabling for women. ….‘a male-dominated and testosterone-fuelled culture’.

The  Bill  establishes  an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission (IPSC) to enforce a code of behaviour. It will investigate complaints against parliamentarians, staff employed by them and workers in Parliament House, with powers to compel cooperation. 

The Bill proposes that  the Commission will recommend sanctions if there has been a breach of standards.  But the Senate or the House of Representatives Privileges Committee will ultimately decide on sanctions for serious misconduct and whether and what the public should know. In other words MPs will stand in judgement on MPs and determine the level of transparency.

This Government has a once in in a lifetime chance to empower the Independent Parliamentary Commission to enable  a gender equal parliamentary workplace, free of harassment, bullying and misogynist behaviour.

The Privileges Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives should not be the final arbiters of sanctions for serious misconduct  imposed on the members and Senators found by the Independent Commission to be in breach of the Code of Behaviour.

Privileges Committees comprise Senators and in the case of the House of Representatives, MP members in proportion to party representation in the Chamber. Decisions on sanctions are likely to be mired in politics as well as constrained by some members’ inclination to protect their peers.

The Independent Commission should have the final say on sanctions for serious misconduct and the Privileges Committees should implement the sanctions.