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John Barilaro cites sickness for pulling out of second appearance before inquiry
Michael McGowan
Former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro has pulled out of his highly anticipated second appearance before a parliamentary committee probing his now-abandoned appointment to a controversial New York trade job.
Barilaro had been due to give evidence to the committee for a second time today, with the hearing scheduled to run all day.
But shortly after 9am committee members were alerted that Barilaro had called in sick and wouldn’t be appearing.
The committee is meeting at 9.45am and will make an announcement shortly after.
More details as they come.
Key events
Asked whether he will try to “weed out” people within parliament and even within his own party who are responsible, Perrottet says: “absolutely”.
He is then asked “how”. Perrottet:
If you are involved in this behaviour you should leave immediately. There are processes in place.
What is important and what comes through the recommendations is the implementation of processes so that people can come forward in an anonymous way and raise these issues.
That is fundamentally the problem here – that there has been no mechanism set up for a proper complaints process. This report, this report is here today because people felt confident that they could come forward in the privacy and raise at those issues in a confidential way, but for that we would not know, and you need people to have that environment created for them where they feel comfortable coming forward. That is clearly not occurred in the past.
Perrottet says he is not aware of any pending criminal charges against anyone and he has “had no advice in relation to that”.
Perrottet also says he has not witnessed any harmful behaviour during his time in parliament.
I have never witnessed or seen any of this behaviour in the entire time that I have been in the New South Wales Parliament. I have not seen it, but that does not mean – it is pretty clear that that is occurring – and change needs to happen.
Perrottet takes questions
Questions now with the first asking Perrottet about what he will do if one of his own party is found to be responsible for this behaviour.
Perrottet says the “first thing” he will be making very clear what the standard of behaviour is both to his party room and to his staffers.
I will make it very clear what the standards of behaviour [are], particularly wanting stuff, for example, to feel like they can make a contribution and come forward and make a contribution to public life. That is one of these that is one of the beautiful aspects of politics is that people put their hands up to make a difference to the people of our state and people don’t feel comfortable doing that.
NSW minister for women: ‘if this is you that is mentioned please leave the parliament’
Bronnie Taylor says “my door is always open and always has been” to anyone who is experiencing abuse.
I believe that you set the example yourself for what you stand for and how you behave, and everybody needs to start doing that.
Taylor then makes a strong statement:
For those particular people that may be reading that report today, you know who you are, and my very strong advice to you is that you do not belong in the parliament of New South Wales. I ask you to think very long and hard about this, and I ask you to make sure that if this is you that is mentioned, get the help that you need and please leave the New South Wales parliament.
NSW minister for women Bronnie Taylor ‘disappointed’
The NSW minister for women and mental health, Bronnie Taylor, is speaking now and says she feels “disappointed to hear of any episodes of sexual assault, of attempted sexual assault, of sexual harassment and bullying”.
Taylor:
There is no place in a modern workplace for any of these things to take place. It is disappointing. I think in the parliament of New South Wales we need to expect extremely high standards across all political lines. This report reflects an entire workplace. There are no politics involved here. This refers to the entire building and everyone that occupies it.
Perrottet: ‘This report will be the beginning of a change in workplace culture’
This report will not be the end. This report will be the beginning. The beginning of a change in workplace culture for the better. We cannot have a situation where the New South Wales parliament is not a safe place for people to work.
The public must have confidence in its politicians. It can’t have confidence in its politicians in circumstances where the parliamentary environments, whether that is in at the parliament or in electorate offices, in many instances, is not free from bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault. 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 New South Wales parliament, but ultimately as role models in this state to every workplace across New South Wales.
Perrottet: findings on sexual harassment in parliament ‘sobering, confronting and unacceptable’
New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet is speaking now* on the release of the report on sexual harassment within state politics ,which included allegations of rape.
Perrottet has begun his press conference with a solemn statement thanking those who came forward as part of the review and participated.
I last night received a copy of this report. I have read the report. It is sobering, confronting and unacceptable. Every workplace across our state should be free from harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault but this is not the case in the New South Wales parliament. Parliamentarians are leaders and role models in our society. They should lead from the front. Clearly, we have a culture in the New South Wales parliament that over time has become in many instances toxic and is wrong. If parliamentarians cannot lead and provide an environment where workplace is safe, what hope to be have for other workplaces across our great state?
*A previous post mistakenly said it was John Barilaro who was appearing. This was incorrect and has been fixed.
Premier Dominic Perrottet to hold press conference
New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet is about to hold a press conference.
One in five NSW parliament workers say they have been sexually harassed, review finds
Tamsin Rose
More than a third of respondents to a survey of workers in NSW parliament have been bullied or sexually harassed over the past five years, according to a landmark review into the culture at Macquarie Street.
The review, conducted by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, revealed “systemic and multi-directional” bullying issues across the building.
It found certain offices were “well-known hotspots” for harmful behaviours and high rates of staff turnover, with the negative environment often having a “devastating” impact on people.
One in five people reported having been sexually harassed, with higher rates experienced by young women, and workers who are sexually diverse or culturally and linguistically diverse.
Almost half of the sexual harassment incidents were perpetrated by an elected member of parliament, according to the report.
The review also found 2% of people had experienced actual or attempted sexual assault while working in a parliamentary workplace. Almost 10% of people said they had heard about or witnessed at least one sexual assault.
For more on this developing story read the full report by Guardian Australia reporter Tamsin Rose.
John Barilaro cites sickness for pulling out of second appearance before inquiry
Michael McGowan
Former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro has pulled out of his highly anticipated second appearance before a parliamentary committee probing his now-abandoned appointment to a controversial New York trade job.
Barilaro had been due to give evidence to the committee for a second time today, with the hearing scheduled to run all day.
But shortly after 9am committee members were alerted that Barilaro had called in sick and wouldn’t be appearing.
The committee is meeting at 9.45am and will make an announcement shortly after.
More details as they come.
Indigenous man dies in Victoria’s Port Phillip prison
An Indigenous man has died on Wednesday while in custody at Port Phillip prison in Melbourne’s west.
The Department of Justice and Community has issued a statement expressing its “great sorrow” at the death of the prisoner and that the matter had been referred to the coroner to investigate.
The department did not immediately confirm whether the man was Indigenous but the man in his 30s was reportedly due to be released from custody in the coming weeks.
His death comes less than three months after an inquest into the death of Aboriginal woman Veronica Nelson, who died alone in her cell after repeatedly calling out for help.
More details as they come.
John Barilaro reportedly pulls out of Friday hearing
Former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro has reportedly pulled out of a scheduled parliamentary hearing on Friday citing ill health.
Barilaro was due to appear before the inquiry to answer questions about the circumstances under which he was given a lucrative job as a trade commissioner in New York.
More details to come …
Victoria records 14 new Covid deaths
14 people with Covid-19 have died in Victoria overnight, with the state recording 5,180 new cases on Friday morning, 550 people in hospital, 30 in ICU and 8 on ventilation.
3 doses (16+): 69.5%
2 doses (12+): 94.7%
Doses total: 6,333,296Hospital: 550
ICU: 30
Ventilated: 8
Lives lost: 14New cases: 5,180 (Rapid antigen test cases: 3,804, PCR test cases: 1,376)
PCR tests: 6,412
Active cases (all): 32,916— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) August 11, 2022
New South Wales records 35 new Covid deaths
35 people with Covid-19 have died in New South Wales overnight, with the state recording 9,528 new cases on Friday morning, 2,194 people in hospital, and 62 in ICU.
COVID-19 update – Friday 12 August 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
– 96.9% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine*
– 95.3% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine* pic.twitter.com/ScWvlGurd4— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 11, 2022
– 69.3% of people have had three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine**^
– 82.3% of people aged 12-15 have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine*
– 78.6% of people aged 12-15 have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine*
– 49.7% of people aged 5-11 have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine*— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 11, 2022
– 2,194 hospitalisations
– 62 people in ICU
– 35 lives lost
– 9,528 positive tests: 4,795 RAT & 4,733 PCRThe 35 deaths notified to NSW Health in the past 24 hours includes 13 deaths notified through the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. COVID-19 related deaths are
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 11, 2022
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