Australia politics live news updates: federal parliament returns with religious discrimination bill up for debate

February 7, 2022
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3.23pm EST

15:23

Katharine Murphy

Katharine Murphy

Morning all. When parliament sits at noon, the presiding officers in both chambers will deliver a statement of acknowledgement about deficiencies (to put the problem diplomatically) in the workplace culture at parliament house.

This implements one of the recommendations of the Jenkins review. (Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins ran an inquiry last year into workplace culture triggered by allegations raised by the former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.)

Today’s statement is a public apology to people who have endured bullying, harassment or worse while working for the commonwealth. As well as the formal acknowledgment, today’s statement will outline next steps in reform.

After the presiding officers have delivered the statement, party leaders will speak. When I checked in with Higgins yesterday, she had not seen the wording of today’s statement.

As I reported yesterday on the blog, former staffers who have led the push for change are also disappointed that the closure of the building to the public will prevent them attending today’s statement. The government says provision will be made for some visitors.

(Tory here, rudely busting into Murphy’s piece – there is some chatter around this morning that the rude oversight will be rectified – I’ll let you know as soon as I do).



3.19pm EST

15:19

It’s the first sitting day of 2022, and if sitting day eve was anything to go by, it’ll be firing on a number of fronts.

The religious discrimination bill will be up for debate. At this stage it seems rather unlikely that prime minister Scott Morrison’s hope it will unite the parliament will be fulfilled. He’s off to the traditional parliamentary ecumenical service at 7.30am, so thoughts and prayers are on the way.

There will be a statement of acknowledgement in parliament around midday. It was a recommendation of the Jenkins review that the workplace culture of bullying, sexual assault and harassment in parliamentary workplaces should be publicly acknowledged. That was a recommendation of the Jenkins review, and there is word it will include an apology. It’s likely there were other apologies flying around yesterday amid news that former staffers Rachelle Miller and Brittany Higgins had not been invited – despite being instrumental in the review itself.

That is likely to have been remedied. Shortly I’ll bring you some more info on that statement.

Then there’ll be a much-anticipated National Press Club appearance by Grace Tame and Higgins, who have become good friends through all of this. And we haven’t even got to question time yet!

Those text messages from Barnaby Joyce and the mystery minister disparaging the PM are still the topic of talk, as a symptom of internal strife. And there’s some strife without, as those pesky anti-vaccine protestors continue to threaten chaos.

As for legislation for a federal Icac … wait and see. There have been mixed messages about whether the government will prioritise integrity over other issues.

Mike Bowers will bring you pictorial excellence, while Katharine Murphy, Sarah Martin, Daniel Hurst, Paul Karp and Josh Butler will be playing whack-a-mole with everything that is going on today. Strap in!

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