Prime Minister Scott Morrison is facing severe backlash after publicly airing details of a sexual harassment complaint in a press conference - which has since been refuted by the organisation in question.
Mr Morrison’s comments came after Sky News journalist Andrew Clennell asked if he had lost control of his “ministerial staff” following an explosive report by Ten News on Monday.
The report alleged several Coalition staffers had filmed and shared images and videos of themselves performing sex acts in Parliament House.
Following Ten’s investigation, one staffer was fired after he was accused of masturbating on a female MP’s desk.
The PM rebuked Mr Clenell’s question by accusing the media of sitting in “glass houses” before discussing an alleged complaint made to News Corp’s HR department.
“In your own organisation, there is a person who had a complaint made against them of harassment of a woman in a woman’s toilet,” Mr Morrison said.
Scott Morrison speaks during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Source: AAP
The comment stood out as it has been preceded by a teary monologue by the PM about the “rubbish” and “crap” Australian women have to deal with “their whole lives”.
“We must get this house in order - we must recognise this problem, acknowledgement, we must fix it,” Mr Morrison said.
"I have been doing a lot of listening over this past month,” he added.
Mr Morrison said, "I want women to have at least the same opportunities and the same voice and the same safety as men in this country."
The PM said his daughters and his wife "motivate" him every day on this issue. "And to them, I say to you, girls, I will not let you down," he added.
In a statement to The Feed, News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller claimed “no complaint has been received and News Corp and Sky News are not dealing with a complaint.”
“Prime Minister Scott Morrison was wrong today to claim an investigation is underway into a complaint accusing an employee of harassment against a woman in a female toilet,” Mr Miller said.
He conceded during the past few weeks News Corp’s HR team “proactively gave our staff the opportunity to talk to us in confidence about their well-being”.
“During these proactive conversations, the News Corp's HR team learned of a verbal exchange between two News Corp employees in Parliament House in Canberra last year,” Mr Miller said.
Mr Miller added the exchange was not of a sexual nature, did not take place in a toilet and said neither person made a complaint.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a press conference. Source: AAP
“Following those inquiries, our HR team wrote to one of the people involved and the matter was resolved,” he said.
Mr Miller concluded the PM’s comments were “simply untrue and it undermines the principle that people must be able to raise issues safely and in confidence.”
The Prime Minister’s office did not respond to The Feed’s questions about how Mr Morrison had learnt about the alleged matter or if there had been a breach of confidentiality in discussing the report.
Labor MP Tanya Plibersek criticised the PM for airing the alleged complaint in Question Time today.
Labor MP Tanya Plibersek Source: AAP
“Is it any wonder victims of sexual assault and harassment in this building and around Australia are afraid of coming forward when the Prime Minister of this country uses a confidential complaint in a nationally televised media conference as a way to stop journalists asking questions about these important issues,” Ms Plibersek said.
The PM said he was making the point these issues go beyond parliament and "the way I refer to these matters to date is in an anonymised way."
Childhood sexual abuse survivor-advocate, Lula Bele, said Mr Morrison’s response showed an inherent misunderstanding of the impact of trauma.
She also said his actions disregarded a survivor’s right to maintain their agency in how responses are handled.
“Using someone else's trauma for your own point-scoring is really inappropriate and undermined some of the good points the prime minister was trying to make at the presser today.”
Ms Bele said she fears the press conference could result in survivors not coming forward with their complaints.
“It's about treating people with dignity,” she told The Feed.
“The person who's made that [alleged] complaint would expect [it to be treated] as a private matter, under the constraints of confidentiality within the workplace.”
Dr Michael Richardson lectures in political communication and is a senior research fellow at the University of NSW.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison reacts during a press conference at Parliament House. Source: AAP
He believes at the beginning of the press conference, the PM had seemed genuine and performed with feeling in his remarks about the issues facing women in Australian workplaces.
Dr Richardson said the PM lost his grip on that message the moment he raised the alleged sexual harassment complaint.
“I definitely think the prime minister went into the press conference today with a specific strategy and a plan for the message that he wanted to get across,” Dr Richardson said.
“The moment where he was questioned, and then pushed back... is when the press conference went off track.”
Dr Richardson also questioned whether the PM could have addressed issues of structural discrimination and violence against women with the same gravity earlier on.
“The scripted remarks on women in the workplace are really an example of political damage control where the Prime Minister and his advisors are realising that the issue is not going to go away,” he said.
Dr Richardson said if he was the PM’s media advisor, he would have told him to “get ahead of the issue”, to take the allegations seriously and not to try and obfuscate.
“I would have been advising him to undertake really serious inquiries, to be looking to overhaul parliamentary culture and to be demonstrating that he takes the issue seriously by listening to women and by believing women.”
While Dr Richardson said it’s too early to tell if what he described as “errors” on part of the PM will be election defining.
Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP
However, he believes Mr Morrison may have significantly “damaged his standing” with those who consider these issues to be important.
“I think he should apologise and say that he did not intend to expose or disclose what might have been a confidential complaint,” Dr Richardson said.
While Ms Bele welcomed “the shift in tone” from the PM at the beginning of the press conference, she believes the narrative around domestic violence needs to change.
“He still categorised it as supporting women and an issue for women,” she said.
“He failed to recognise is actually an issue of men because men are ones [statistically] doing the violence and masturbating on female politicians’ desks.”
“It’s men's behaviour that has to change.”
The Feed has contacted the Prime Minister’s office for comment.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
Men who are seeking help for abusive and violent behaviour towards women and families can contact the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
