Perrottet acknowledges abuse and harassment in state Parliament

The NSW government has delivered an acknowledgement of abuse and harassment in state Parliament, with NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet highlighting failures in dealing with complaints and the lack of clarity around workplace boundaries. 

“As premier, it is appropriate for me to acknowledge that it is not now and it never was acceptable. And we deeply regret what complainants and survivors have been through, the distress,” he said. 

Perrottet singled out survivor, advocate and former Liberal staffer Dhanya Mani in his speech. 

“I want to thank and acknowledge the survivors and particularly acknowledge Dhanya Mani who has used her own experience as a survivor to be a courageous voice for change,” he said.

Perrottet’s acknowledgement follows a review of policies and procedures for ministerial offices announced by former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and conducted by Pru Goward, released in April last year. As of last month, a respectful workplace policy along with respect-at-work training has been implemented. Elizabeth Broderick is also set to release an independent review into bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct in NSW Parliament.

Mani alleged that, in 2015, while working as an assistant adviser to then speaker of NSW Parliament, she was sexually abused by a male colleague. She further alleged the party offered little support, that she wasn’t believed, and that one female party member said her complaints were unlikely to lead anywhere.

She complained to the party in 2018 and went public with her allegations in 2019. But she wasn’t acknowledged by Berejiklian when announcing the review into ministerial offices, or by Morrison when acknowledging the bullying and sexual harassment of staffers in Parliament in February (which Mani wasn’t invited to attend), as recommended by sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins. 

Mani said she felt the apology had been whitewashed — a chronic and historic issue at the centre of the Me Too movement.

After being rebuffed, ignored and excluded from key events, for Mani, being acknowledged in Parliament was momentous. She was also thanked by NSW Labor leader Chris Minns and Greens member Jenny Leong. 

“I never felt more invisible and erased as a woman of colour who had to work harder than most to gain opportunities in politics,” Mani told Crikey.

“That I made my complaint in 2018 and am only being acknowledged today says a great deal about how minority-identifying people and women of colour are treated by the media and by politics. 

“Marginalised people have been excluded from the feminist discourse around this moment in time. I hope this signifies the start of a long and ongoing conversation about empowering minorities to be decision-makers and agents of change.”

*This article has been updated to correct Jenny Leong’s political party.