En Garde

I stopped reading at page 70 because my train stop was coming in to view, but it must be said I needed to reflect on what I'd just read. The workplace that is the highest in our land - the Parliament of Australia - has a shocking track record of bullying - and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has laid it out for us. At page 70 I wanted to shout out "unbelievable" - but upon reflection it's not unbelievable at all - infact it's because it's so easy to visualise and believe that I had to stop reading and reflect. Is this what we have been willing accept?

I've written about bad behaviour within the workplace before in my LinkedIn article "So What's Politically Correct Anyway". In that article I was optimistic about the change within our society in treating ourselves with more respect. But that clearly isn't the case everywhere and certainly not the case in our Parliament.

Sarah's newly released book, "En Garde", is her contribution the the #MeToo movement and a response to disgraceful comments by Senator David Leyonhjelm earlier this year. However, as she spoke at her launch this evening it was clear that there's been a long track record of bullying.

In December 2014 Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is in Federal Parliament asking questions of the Minister why the 460 children detained on Christmas Island could not be brought to the mainland. It's the last week of Parliament for the year and a late-night sitting. The Liberals are hosting Christmas drinks in the lounge next to the chamber. There are certain protocols adhered to in Parliament, one is that every politician has their own allocated seat, another is you call respective members by their title (Mr or Senator or Honourable as the case maybe) and another is that you speak through the Chair. The protocols do little to stop the name-calling, abusive behaviour and bullying - a pretense at best - but it's all they seem to have for now.

"He kept moving around the chamber, getting closer and closer to my seat, until he was sitting on the bench next to mine. As I stood arguing my position on the current clause of the legislation, Senator Bernadi, who was still a member of the Liberal Party at the time, started singing nursery rhymes in my ear. He was leaning in, close to me, singing his songs, almost in a whisper. He then said the name of a man he insinuated I had slept with. Again, he did all of this while I was on my feet, speaking. It was creepy and I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want to draw attention to it because that seemed even more embarrassing, and the last thing I wanted was to bring more focus to the rumours he was spreading. I tried hard to pretend I wasn't listening. I kept speaking to the almost empty chamber about the very serious legislation we were supposed to be debating. He got louder, wanting me to react and, finally, I did. 'Sometimes I wonder whether we should have breathalysers at the doors in this place,' I said to the chair."

Appalling.

This happened in the Senate - the Federal Parliament of Australia - in 2014. Here's the Hansard record for 22:06 in the evening and here's the Hansard record for 22:29 in the evening.

No wonder we don't trust and respect our politicians. Their behaviour is appalling.

But my immediate reaction after reading this chapter in Sarah's book was "unbelievable". And then within a micro-second the next reaction was no - not unbelievable at all - most of us have had some type of behaviour like this towards us - maybe not as bad - maybe worse. Hang about - double-take - let's re-think this. I then tried to visualise a re-enactment with a man speaking in the Senate and a women sliding up creepily to him as he spoke in the chamber, on and off, over a half hour period. Nope - can't do it - just can't see it. Not that it hasn't happened somewhere at sometime - but the occasions where the role is reversed is so few not many of us, and not me at anyrate, can visualise it.

Sarah notes in the book, and did so at her launch, that male politicians are attacked, called names and bullied. And if the Parliament was to change its culture to a more respectful dialogue, with the exchange of ideas, opinions and policies communicated in a respectful way, this would be better for all politicians, male and female. Not to mention voters getting value for our vote and taxpayer dollars with politicians actually focussed on their job!

However her experience is, and former Prime Minister Julia Gillard might possibly agree, "The undeniable truth, though, is that they save their most personal, vicious and hateful treatment for women" (page 53).

Our workplaces, and the highest workplace in our land, should, and can create a culture of respect.

"Not all disrespect of women ends up in violence against women, but that is where all violence against women begins", Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnball.

Well said Malcolm (Liberal, man), Julia (Labour, woman [famous misogyny speech 2012]) and Sarah (Greens, woman).

En Garde, Sarah Hanson-Young, 2018 Melbourne University Publishing available from Imprints Bookshop, Adelaide, South Australia.