Bill aims to improve Parliament's standards

The Parliamentary Workplace Standards and Integrity Bill will create a three-person Parliamentary Integrity Commission to investigate complaints including bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and victimisation.

“ ‘The wellbeing of staff and their right to a safe and respectful workplace is not negotiable.’ ”

Jacinta Allan, Premier

It will also establish the existing Parliamentary Integrity Adviser in legislation and introduce a Parliamentary Ethics Committee to promote ethical practices by MPs.

In her second reading speech, Premier Jacinta Allan said the bill would strengthen public confidence in our elected representatives and promote the Parliament of Victoria as a safe workplace for all people.

‘The wellbeing of staff and their right to a safe and respectful workplace is not negotiable,’ she said.

'By holding MPs, Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries accountable for inappropriate behaviours, it will also act as a deterrent, ensuring that all MPs behave to the highest of standards as is our obligation as elected representatives of the people of Victoria,’ she said.

“ ‘I think by and large people who are in public office in parliaments throughout Australia, not just in Victoria, are good, honest people, people of significant integrity.' ”

Nick Staikos, Member for Bentleigh

Member for Malvern Michael O’Brien said the opposition would not oppose the bill in the Legislative Assembly but would reserve its position in the Upper House, subject to the government accepting two amendments.

The amendments increase the prohibition period for a potential commissioner from five to 10 years and require any appointment of an acting commissioner to be unanimously endorsed by the members of the Integrity and Oversight Committee.

The amendments would ‘improve this bill and makes this truly a level playing field,’ he said.

Nick Staikos, Member for Bentleigh, said that by global standards Victoria has a robust system of integrity.

‘I think by and large people who are in public office in parliaments throughout Australia, not just in Victoria, are good, honest people, people of significant integrity,’ he said.

‘But we constantly need to be seeking to do better, to improve our systems and to make sure that we are the best possible representatives of our electorates,’ he said.

Murray Plains MP Peter Walsh said if MPs don’t do anything wrong then ‘this legislation is not going to be an issue’.

‘If you do something wrong – if you have not sought the correct advice, if you have not followed that advice – there is the potential that you can wind up being reported to this commission,’ he said.

Natalie Hutchins, Member for Sydenham said the Jenkins report into the federal Parliament showed harrasment was widespread.

‘Seventy-seven per cent of people in Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces had experienced, witnessed or heard about bullying, sexual harassment or actual or attempted sexual assault – that is 77 per cent.’

“ ‘We all deserve respect in the workplace, and the use of the word ‘integrity’ is something that I think anyone expects in their workplace and particularly expects of their members of Parliament.' ”

Roma Britnell, Member for South-West Coast

‘That is huge, and it is absolutely unacceptable. Whilst these statistics relate to federal Parliament, we know that there are similar challenges here in the Victorian Parliament,’ she said.

South-West Coast MP Roma Britnell urged the government to adopt the opposition’s amendments.

‘We all deserve respect in the workplace, and the use of the word ‘integrity’ is something that I think anyone expects in their workplace and particularly expects of their members of parliament,’ she said.

Member for Ashwood Matt Fregon said the passing of the bill should improve the Parliament’s workplace culture oveure over time.

‘I like to hope with the hopeful passing of this bill, we will actually see with this bill and the integrity adviser that comes with it and the mechanisms of the integrity body cultural change over a period of time, so we do not need to be talking about our own behaviour.’

‘It does not matter to me which side of this table we sit on; this is a professional workplace and we should all be professional,’ he said.

Brunswick MP Tim Read said the Greens would be supporting the bill, but the reforms should go further.

'We need strong parliamentary investigatory committees, including the privileges committees, which importantly are free from interference by the government and executive of the day,' he said.

The full debate can be read in Hansard.

The bill has now moved to the Legislative Council for consideration.