The Australian Greens Party Room has agreed to strengthen rules for Senators and MPs, making explicit a ban on sexual relations between any Federal Greens MPs and any Federal Greens staff members.
The Australian Greens and the Party Room already had very strong and extensive policies on sexual harassment and bullying and this update further strengthens those rules. These rules conform to community expectations and what is in place in workplaces around the country.
The rules go further than other parties, in that they apply to all MPs (not just Ministers or Shadow Ministers) and apply to staff of other Greens MPs (not just the MP’s own staff).
Sanctions for any breach of the rules would be determined by the Party Room, and could include loss of leadership roles, portfolios, or committee membership.
The Greens have called on other parties to update their rules so that there is uniformity for all staff working for elected representatives in Parliament.
“Women have a right to a safe workplace. The Greens have always been leaders in Australian politics on issues of workplace relations, integrity and Parliamentary standards, and this further strengthening of our rules continues our commitment to safe workplaces,” said Greens Leader, Adam Bandt.
“After the 4 Corners report on Monday night, the Prime Minister’s response has been to blame others, refuse to investigate and fail to put in place a clear way for people to raise complaints without fear of reprisal. It’s not good enough. We need to lift standards across the board so that everyone working in Parliament feels safe.”
