Sexual Assault, Misconduct Complaints Pile Up in Australian Parliament

SYDNEY (Nov 10, 2024) – Staff at Australia’s parliament have filed 30 complaints of serious workplace offences, including sexual assault, over a nine-month period, according to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday.

The complaints were made to the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, which was launched in October 2023 to provide a confidential platform for federal parliament workers to report misconduct. Between October 2023 and June 2024, the service received a total of 339 cases, with 30 involving serious allegations of wrongdoing.

The report highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Australia’s legislature in addressing workplace culture issues, amid a series of scandals that have raised concerns about safety and harassment within the parliamentary environment.