An independent MP has slammed as “shameful” the politicisation of sensitive sexual abuse allegations after a tumultuous week in federal parliament.
Federal minister Bill Shorten acknowledged last week in parliament had been “toxic”.
“I suspect 100 per cent of the MPs will probably realise when they got on the plane and left the building that it had been a really depressing week for Australians,” Mr Shorten told ABC’s Q+A program on Monday.
Over four days of the sitting week, the opposition doubled down on its questioning of Finance Minister Katy Gallagher over “who knew, what, when” about Brittany Higgins’ 2021 interview on The Project where she made the allegation she had been raped by a colleague in a minister’s parliamentary office.
Later, during the debate in the Senate independent senator Lidia Thorpe, under parliamentary privilege, accused Victorian senator David Van of sexually harassing and inappropriately touching her. He has denied the allegations.
Kooyong MP Monique Ryan said it had been a “distressing” week.
Dr Ryan said the crossbench had found the “politicisation” of sexual assault allegations in parliament as “distressing” and an “active deterrent” to victims coming forward.
“We wanted to stand to our feet and say that we felt that it was conduct unbecoming of parliament,” she said.
“And I think if we learn nothing from this, we have to decide as a society whether we want our parliament to be dragging people who’ve gone through really difficult experiences through that sort of experience again.
“It wasn’t ideal and I actually thought it was shameful.”
Senator Van was expelled from the Liberal party room after the allegations made by Senator Thorpe and former senator Amanda Stoker, before he resigned from the party on Saturday. He has “utterly” rejected the allegations.
Nationals MP Bridget McKenzie defended the Coalition’s questioning of Senator Gallagher about whether she had politicised Ms Higgins’ allegations when they were first aired.
“I think there was serious and legitimate questions that needed to be asked in the face of a minister misleading the Senate and we asked questions about who knew what, when and what was done with that information,” she said.
She said the Coalition had been deliberate in how they handled the questions.
“This issue, when it was last in parliament, was pursued ferociously by the then Opposition,” Sneator McKenzie said.
“I think we were very careful as we could be with our tone, but to also ask legitimate questions of the government and their ministers.”
Both Senator McKenzie and Mr Shorten said parliament had changed in the 14 and 15 years they had been in the building, and important changes had been made since Ms Higgins’ allegations were made.
Mr Shorten said last week was not typical of how parliament operated.
“There is a lot of good work going on, but a week like that and some of the actions overshadowed what a lot of us are trying to do every day which is make Australia a better place and help Australians,” he said.