Submission to the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards
The Human Rights Law Centre appeared before the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards (Committee), to give evidence for reforms that would ensure that politicians and all people working in, or visiting, the Commonwealth Parliament fall under a code of conduct.
The code should cover not just gender-based bullying, harassment and assault, but other forms of discrimination, including racism, ableism and transphobia.
The Human Rights Law Centre made nine recommendations for reform, including:
the introduction of codes of conduct for parliamentarians, their staff, and the parliamentary precinct overseen by an independent body;
that the codes of conduct be broadly drafted to cover not just gender-based violence, but other forms of discriminatory abuse including racism, ableism and transphobia;
the code of conduct for politicians should include proportionate penalties for breaches, including temporary suspensions from the Parliament;
expanding whistleblowing protections for parliamentarians’ staff.