In two-thirds of sexual harassment cases (67 per cent) the perpetrator was someone more senior, and in most cases (85 per cent) the perpetrator was male.
The report found that harmful behaviors had a “profound, devastating and long-term” impact on staff and led many to leave parliamentary workplaces.
“This was often because of their lack of confidence in, or poor experience of, reporting mechanisms and a resulting lack of confidence that it was possible to protect workers against harmful behaviours, particularly when these were being perpetrated by a Member of Parliament,” it said.
The report said most participants had identified the “unequal distribution of power as a key driving factor both in problematic cultural dynamics and in the patterns of harmful behaviours”.
This was supported by the findings that identified members of Parliament as being responsible for a disproportionate number of incidents of harmful behaviour, it read.
Perrottet said the public needed to have confidence in its politicians.
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“It can’t have confidence in its politicians in circumstances where parliamentary environments – whether that is in the Parliament or in electorate offices – in many instances,[are] not free from bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault,” he said.
“This must end. It ends today, and we will work very closely with all sides of politics to implement change for the betterment of workplaces in the NSW parliament.”
I thanked the victim-survivors who came forward and were part of the investigation.
Almost 500 people – 27.7 per cent of the parliamentary workforce – participated in the online review. More than 100 gave confidential one-on-one interviews and seven confidential group sessions were conducted. The review also received 58 confidential written submissions.
“That would have been incredibly difficult for many and very challenging, but today they should know that their stories will create real change and have a lasting impact on people in our parliament and hopefully right across our state,” Perrottet said.
“That change cannot occur without people having the strength through adversity to come forward and tell the story and I, particularly as [premier] of the state, want to thank every single person who has participated.”
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns said the review painted a “dark picture of what’s been happening in the NSW parliament over an extended period of time”.
“It’s my view that neither side, or any side in politics, comes to this issue with clean hands. We all need to do better, reach across the aisle, and make sure that we’re making every possible effort to make the NSW parliament a safe workplace,” he said.
Perrottet also said he would “work across party political lines to make any changes to ensure the NSW parliament is a safe place”.
“Whatever changes need to be made will be made. It is as simple as that.”
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The review was conducted by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick and all MPs and staff employed at parliament within the past five years were invited to participate voluntarily.
The review, commissioned by former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, said ministerial offices were “unique workplaces”, where staff were under intense public scrutiny and “employment protections for ministers are vastly greater than those of their staff”.
Support is available from the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline on 1800 424 017National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counseling Line on 1800 737 732, and Lifeline on 131 114.
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