Getting off Scott-free
Nicolette Petra on Scott Morrison’s failure to take responsibility.
TW: This article contains content on sexual harassment, abuse, and assault.
“We need to protect against those who would disrespect women."
That’s what Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in his speech at the International Women’s Day (IWD) Parliamentary Breakfast on 25 February 2021.
Yet, just last week the Prime Minister directly contradicted these very words when he temporarily elevated Christian Porter, alleged rapist and disgraced former Attorney-General, to the position of Acting Leader of the House of Representatives.
So, what’s the issue?
The Prime Minister’s elevation of Porter is deeply problematic for two reasons.
First, the Leader of the House is a Minister who, in addition to their ministerial duties, is in charge of arranging and managing the government business of the House of Representatives, where Ministers discuss matters of national and international importance, and propose bills to be made into laws.
In essence, Porter, who has been accused of raping a 16 year old girl three times in 1988, has not only been allowed to remain in Parliament as the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, but has now received a promotion as well. And while Porter vehemently denies the allegations against him, there can be no question that the heinous crimes he is accused of make the Prime Minister’s choice to put him in such high office a questionable one.
However, currently there is no professional standard of “fit and proper” character that Parliamentary Ministers must meet.
In episode 2 of ABC’s recent documentary, Ms Represented, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said, “In any other workplace there’s usually a code of conduct...a HR department. There is none of that in Parliament. It is still a problem.”
In the same episode, Former Member of Australian Parliament Julia Banks said, “[Parliament] is not the place of governance, order, respect, and professionalism you would expect. It doesn’t have any of the sophisticated procedures and policies, particularly in relation to workplace culture, that every good corporate organisation has.”
Second, and perhaps far more chilling, is the fact that Porter was appointed by Scott Morrison himself. You might think a Prime Minister committed to protecting against those who would disrespect women, would, as Grace Tame put it, “go to any lengths possible to ensure there was not an accused rapist among his own staff.” You would be wrong.
You may even venture that the Prime Minister would, at the very least, order an independent inquiry against Porter. Wrong again.
What is most reprehensible about the Prime Minister’s decision, however, is that it means the most powerful person in the country chose not to support survivors of assault and women’s safety. It means he had the power to appoint any other Minister to the position of Leader of the House, but he did not. It means he had the opportunity to ensure accountability, justice, and transparency were served to the Australian people, and he did not.
Grace Tame, Australian of the Year 2021, sexual assault survivor and advocate for survivors of sexual assault (particularly those abused in institutional settings), described the Prime Minister’s decision as a “proverbial slap in the face of our entire nation.”
Chanel Contos, consent education advocate (@teachusconsent) and sexual assault survivor, echoed Tame’s response, posting on her Instagram story, “The government [is] sending a loud signal to the whole of Australia that victims will not be believed and rapists will have no accountability for their actions.”
The fact of the matter is, that while Porter’s promotion may be temporary, his time in Parliament is not. As Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Porter still possesses incredible privileges, including but not limited to making decisions as a representative of the Australian people, and receiving a salary of approximately $370,000.
Worse still, the Prime Minister’s promotion of Porter is emblematic of a much larger, systemic issue: that there is no accountability for perpetrators, whether they be alleged or convicted.
In addition to her initial Instagram story, Contos asked her more than 18,000 followers, “What does your rapist do now?”. She has shared many of the responses in a recent post to highlight that the lack of accountability that is rife in Parliament is equally so in broader society.
This is not the first time the Prime Minister’s actions have made it clear that speeches concerning women, survivors of sexual assault, and remedying institutional abuses of power, are nothing more than tokenism and lip service.
Despite mentioning such issues in his IWD speech, Morrison failed to empathise with Brittany Higgins’, choosing only to legitimise her rape allegations and traumatic experiences within parliament after being persuaded by his wife. He then denied having knowledge of her rape allegation.
On March 10, Morrison refused to attend the Canberra rally in the March4Justice protest. On the very same day, Morrison unilaterally declared he thought Porter was innocent of the allegations against him and that he would remain in Parliament.
In June, Morrison appointed Barnaby Joyce to the Cabinet Taskforce for Women’s Security and Economic Security, despite Joyce having had ‘an accusation of sexual harassment against him (which he denies) and a separate revelation about an extramarital affair with a staffer.’
Unfortunately, the list goes on.
Porter’s promotion is but the latest in Morrison’s decision-making which prioritises rehabilitating and resurrecting the public image of accused and convicted predators over supporting victims and listening to women.
What needs to happen next?
To conclude his IWD speech, the Prime Minister said, “And finally, I reflect on my own responsibilities...the best contemplation is when we reflect on our own responsibilities and we consider what we, each of us can do, to make Australia a better place to live.”
Ironically, almost ten years ago in her unforgettable misogyny speech, Julia Gillard said, “Big on lectures of responsibility, very light on accepting responsibility himself for the vile conduct of members of his political party.”
It would seem little has changed in the last decade.
The Prime Minister’s actions over the past five months stand in stark contradiction to his words in his IWD speech.
I would call on the Prime Minister to reflect on and accept his responsibilities now.
Morrison’s responsibility to listen to his people and government, means he must take genuine, empathetic actions towards progress.
Morrison’s responsibility to set a high moral standard for his government and his country, means he should hold his Ministers accountable for their behaviour and put a stop to the “toxic boys’ club” culture prevalent in Australian politics. Moreover, he should demote Porter and order an independent inquiry of him, as he has been called on to do countless times.
Morrison’s responsibility to ensure a safe work culture exists not only in Parliament but in all workplaces, means he should follow Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkin’s recommendation to amend the Sex Discrimination Act. Doing so would place a positive duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment occuring in workplaces.
The fact Morrison himself commissioned the inquiry that led to Jenkin’s recommendation, would suggest Morrison plans to take a head-on approach towards combatting sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.
The fact Morrison commissioned the inquiry in response to the Brittany Higgins rape allegation, would suggest he is prepared to stand with Brittany Higgins now that Liberal staffer, Bruce Lehrmann, has been charged with her sexual assault.
In light of these developments, it will be interesting to see what he does in the coming months. However, given the Prime Minister’s track record, the likelihood of him taking responsibility and holding others accountable is not promising.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
Thumbnail image by Matt Hrkac.