Prime Minister Scott Morrison has admitted his government’s shortcomings in tackling sexism and bad behaviour head-on, in an extraordinary behind-closed-doors speech to 400 Coalition staff.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said “sorry” three times in a five-minute address during the meeting, which was designed to reassure government staff after months of shocking claims and revelations about standards in Parliament.
Scott Morrison facing questions on the scandals confronting his government during question time. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The remarks, a recording of which has been obtained by The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age, were delivered last Tuesday afternoon and highlight – as does the leaking of the audio – the degree to which morale has plummeted among Coalition staff. There was also consternation among some attendees that Minister for Women Marise Payne did not speak or attend.
Mr Morrison’s government has been hit by a series of shocking claims in the past six weeks, starting with former staffer Brittany Higgins’ rape allegation, the historical rape claim against Christian Porter (which the Attorney-General has vehemently denied) and claims of bullying and a toxic culture in Parliament House. In addition, it has been revealed that a Liberal staffer masturbated on a female MP’s desk.
Mr Morrison is expected to make changes to his cabinet in a matter of days as part of a broader attempt to reset his government’s fortunes. A national summit will be convened within months to set new goals to prevent violence against women.
Mr Morrison’s speech to Coalition staff suggests workplace changes inside Parliament House will not be left until Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins hands down her interim report on Parliament’s workplace culture in July.
The Prime Minister said some staff had “put up with some absolute rubbish” and “this has been a traumatic month, that is true, but for many here it has been a traumatic lifetime”.
He promised to restore respect and improve human resources systems, highlighted the creation of a counselling support line, promised mandatory annual work health and safety training and the creation of a “proper complaints process” that would be safe, confidential and practical.
More serious matters, a reference to Ms Higgins’ case, would be handled by the police “god forbid that should ever happen again”.
“I am the son of a police officer, I know that’s where those issues need to be dealt with and where justice needs to be done, when it comes to those most serious matters,” Mr Morrison told the staffers.
In an acknowledgement of the deep disquiet in Coalition ranks, he concluded: “I have no doubt you are sceptical and you want to see this stuff work before you believe - that’s fair enough, that’s totally fair enough.
“So we will get on and address this, we will get on and make these changes, I ask you to work with us as we do that.”
Mr McCormack’s short address to staff was even more pointed.
“Whether you have been here for five minutes or whether you have been here for 15 or 25 years, you are valued. If you have been let down by the system, by your member, by your senator, by me, I say I am sorry,” he said. “If you haven’t felt supported, at any time, over any matter, I’m sorry.”
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday 23 March 2021Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The speeches came just hours after a teary Prime Minister highlighted the “rubbish and this crap” that women have had to put up with in politics, and more broadly.
The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age spoke to eight staffers who attended the meeting and all agreed to speak on condition of anonymity.
The uniform view was that morale had plummeted in government ranks over the last six weeks as it was battered by the wave of revelations and scandals, but that Mr Morrison and Mr McCormack’s addresses were heartfelt and welcome, although long overdue.
One veteran Coalition staffer observed: “[With Kevin] Rudd and [Julia] Gillard, it took three years of work to take them down. We’ve taken ourselves down in six weeks.”
Another staffer said Senator Payne should have addressed, or at least attended, the meeting and that “this should have happened weeks ago”.
A third said it was strange a meeting about sexism, bullying and workplace culture had been addressed by “three blokes” and that it was clear “the penny had finally dropped that this was an issue”.
“They should have had someone from the [Prime Minister’s office] who is a senior woman, but they don’t have someone,” they said.
A fourth staffer said the address was “actually really reassuring and nice. We were told how much we were appreciated. I expected it would be confrontational ... I was prepared to be pissed off but I wasn’t. I thought they would read the riot act.”
A fifth source, recently departed from government for the private sector, said that Coalition staff wanted to leave and some had started looking for jobs outside Parliament.
A cabinet reshuffle is expected as soon as Monday, with Peter Dutton tipped to take the Defence portfolio and potentially the job of Leader of the House from Mr Porter, Stuart Robert to move into Mr Dutton’s former portfolio of Home Affairs and Linda Reynolds to move from Defence to Mr Robert’s post as minister for government services.
Senator Michaelia Cash is tipped to take over as attorney-general and industrial relations minister from Mr Porter, while he would take her employment portfolio, removing him as first law officer while he pursues a defamation action against the ABC.
James Massola is political correspondent for the Sun-Herald and Sunday Age. He was previously south-east Asia correspondent in Jakarta and chief political correspondent. Before that he was political correspondent for the Australian Financial Review.
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2021-03-27 18:00:00Z
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