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| Australian parliament 'toxic' for women, says Labor's Clare O’Neil | Australian parliament 'toxic' for women, says Labor's Clare O’Neil |
| (4 months later) | |
| Politics is increasingly toxic for “normal people” in general and women in particular, Labor frontbencher Clare O’Neil has said. | Politics is increasingly toxic for “normal people” in general and women in particular, Labor frontbencher Clare O’Neil has said. |
| The shadow financial services minister made the comments on Sunday in the wake of Liberal MP Julia Banks announcing she will quit at the next election because of “bullying and intimidation” from within her own party. | The shadow financial services minister made the comments on Sunday in the wake of Liberal MP Julia Banks announcing she will quit at the next election because of “bullying and intimidation” from within her own party. |
| O’Neil argued that – unlike the Liberal party – Labor has processes to prevent gendered bullying and defended Labor’s handling of complaints against MP Emma Husar, arguing the case is different because there was fault on both sides. | O’Neil argued that – unlike the Liberal party – Labor has processes to prevent gendered bullying and defended Labor’s handling of complaints against MP Emma Husar, arguing the case is different because there was fault on both sides. |
| In the past fortnight Banks and Liberal senator Linda Reynolds made public claims that lobbying over the Liberal leadership stoush resulted in “bullying and intimidation” of parliamentarians. | In the past fortnight Banks and Liberal senator Linda Reynolds made public claims that lobbying over the Liberal leadership stoush resulted in “bullying and intimidation” of parliamentarians. |
| While some senior Liberal women have circled the wagons, arguing there is no culture of bullying and the claims are part and parcel of leadership challenges, moderates such as MP Craig Laundy have warned the complaints will have to be investigated. | While some senior Liberal women have circled the wagons, arguing there is no culture of bullying and the claims are part and parcel of leadership challenges, moderates such as MP Craig Laundy have warned the complaints will have to be investigated. |
| Politics in Australia has a woman problem – and it’s time it stopped | Sarah Hanson-Young | |
| O’Neil told ABC’s Insiders that “increasingly” the culture in parliament “feels really toxic” for “normal people generally, but in particular for women”. | O’Neil told ABC’s Insiders that “increasingly” the culture in parliament “feels really toxic” for “normal people generally, but in particular for women”. |
| “So there’s a level of aggression, of conflict, of egocentricism that dominates the culture in parliament house and I think that that is quite hard to handle,” she said. | “So there’s a level of aggression, of conflict, of egocentricism that dominates the culture in parliament house and I think that that is quite hard to handle,” she said. |
| O’Neil said there was “a very gendered aspect” to the treatment of Husar, but argued Labor has been tackling the problem with 25 years of affirmative action policies whereby the proportion of women rose from 14.5% of the party room to 48%. She said this had “shifted the culture across my party very significantly”. | O’Neil said there was “a very gendered aspect” to the treatment of Husar, but argued Labor has been tackling the problem with 25 years of affirmative action policies whereby the proportion of women rose from 14.5% of the party room to 48%. She said this had “shifted the culture across my party very significantly”. |
| Husar, the member for the western Sydney seat of Lindsay, also announced she will quit at the next election, citing leaked bullying allegations, including a claim she acted in a sexually inappropriate manner towards frontbencher Jason Clare, which was not sustained in an internal investigation. | Husar, the member for the western Sydney seat of Lindsay, also announced she will quit at the next election, citing leaked bullying allegations, including a claim she acted in a sexually inappropriate manner towards frontbencher Jason Clare, which was not sustained in an internal investigation. |
| Asked about the two cases, O’Neil said there is a distinction between the experience of women in the two major parties and that Husar’s case was “a bit more complicated” because there was “acknowledged wrongdoing on both sides”. | Asked about the two cases, O’Neil said there is a distinction between the experience of women in the two major parties and that Husar’s case was “a bit more complicated” because there was “acknowledged wrongdoing on both sides”. |
| While the most serious allegations of sexual harassment were not supported, the investigation into Husar found that staffers’ complaints that they were asked to do personal duties had merit and claims of misuse of entitlements warranted further investigation. | While the most serious allegations of sexual harassment were not supported, the investigation into Husar found that staffers’ complaints that they were asked to do personal duties had merit and claims of misuse of entitlements warranted further investigation. |
| O’Neil said Banks’ criticism reflected “the culture within the Liberal party” and said the response had been “tone deaf”, with senior people suggesting she needed to “toughen up”. | O’Neil said Banks’ criticism reflected “the culture within the Liberal party” and said the response had been “tone deaf”, with senior people suggesting she needed to “toughen up”. |
| Emma Husar says 'vicious slut shaming' ended her career | |
| “I can say, very honestly, if there was bullying and intimidation put on me as a member of parliament, I would pick up the phone, I would call [Labor Senate leader] Penny Wong and call [deputy leader] Tanya Plibersek and there would be a nuclear armageddon on the person who did this to me,” O’Neil said. | “I can say, very honestly, if there was bullying and intimidation put on me as a member of parliament, I would pick up the phone, I would call [Labor Senate leader] Penny Wong and call [deputy leader] Tanya Plibersek and there would be a nuclear armageddon on the person who did this to me,” O’Neil said. |
| By contrast, O’Neil said, she did not see “who will drive that culture” within the Liberal party “to make sure that women feel valued and that they have a voice”. | By contrast, O’Neil said, she did not see “who will drive that culture” within the Liberal party “to make sure that women feel valued and that they have a voice”. |
| “I’m not claiming that the Labor party are perfect here, but you’ve got to say that we’re having a crack at fixing the problem and I don’t see the same being done on the other side of politics,” she said. | “I’m not claiming that the Labor party are perfect here, but you’ve got to say that we’re having a crack at fixing the problem and I don’t see the same being done on the other side of politics,” she said. |
| O’Neil also targeted the Morrison government for its handling of the financial services portfolio. | O’Neil also targeted the Morrison government for its handling of the financial services portfolio. |
| She said it was “extraordinary” the role had been given to the assistant treasurer, Stuart Robert, who was sacked in 2016 over a “private” trip to Beijing to oversee a mining deal involving a major Liberal donor and meet a Chinese vice-minister. | She said it was “extraordinary” the role had been given to the assistant treasurer, Stuart Robert, who was sacked in 2016 over a “private” trip to Beijing to oversee a mining deal involving a major Liberal donor and meet a Chinese vice-minister. |
| O’Neil said Robert had “misused his position as a minister” and “behaved completely inappropriately”. | O’Neil said Robert had “misused his position as a minister” and “behaved completely inappropriately”. |
| “Someone who was sacked for misconduct is going to be put in charge of fixing bank misconduct? It’s a joke,” she said. “And it shows that the government has never taken [the financial services] royal commission seriously.” | “Someone who was sacked for misconduct is going to be put in charge of fixing bank misconduct? It’s a joke,” she said. “And it shows that the government has never taken [the financial services] royal commission seriously.” |
| At a press conference in Sydney Scott Morrison said that Robert’s misconduct was “raised at the time [and has] been fully addressed since”, declining to explain why he returned him to the ministry. | At a press conference in Sydney Scott Morrison said that Robert’s misconduct was “raised at the time [and has] been fully addressed since”, declining to explain why he returned him to the ministry. |
| Morrison repeated that he had “no truck with bullying” and said he has been in contact with the minister for women Kelly O’Dwyer. “The matter is being well-handled, “ he said, brushing off a question about whether the alleged bullying is under investigation. | Morrison repeated that he had “no truck with bullying” and said he has been in contact with the minister for women Kelly O’Dwyer. “The matter is being well-handled, “ he said, brushing off a question about whether the alleged bullying is under investigation. |
| Australian politics | Australian politics |
| Labor party | Labor party |
| Coalition | Coalition |
| Bullying | Bullying |
| Gender | Gender |
| Liberal party | Liberal party |
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