A “statement of acknowledgment” of widespread cultural problems within the New South Wales parliament currently fails to recognise the experiences of Indigenous, culturally diverse and LGBTQIA+ staffers, with one calling it “a cop out”.
A draft form of the acknowledgment, made in response to workplace issues identified by the damning Broderick report, has been circulated ahead of the final to version being delivered in parliament on Tuesday.
MPs and current and former staff who make up the a parliamentary advisory group on the issue told Guardian Australia its drafting has been rushed and the most recent version still “pales in comparison” to the Broderick recommendations.
“A lot of us feel that the statement itself is a cop out,” one member said.
Another said it felt like a “tick-a-box” exercise for the parliament before it rises on Thursday.
Former Liberal staffer and survivor advocate Dhanya Mani, who is a member of the group, was particularly concerned that poor experiences of Aboriginal, culturally and linguistically diverse and LGBTQIA+ people were being ignored in the statement.
“There is also no language that acknowledges the intersectional oppression that diverse survivors face,” she said.
“This means it is not possible for minorities to see themselves reflected within a statement that is supposed to acknowledge that the harms they have experienced have been particularly severe.”
Mani said she had been disappointed in the way the statement was drafted and felt her feedback, as a survivor and a woman of colour, had not been taken on board.
“I, even as a member of the group, feel erased,” she said. “What hope does anyone else have?”
Mani said it had been “almost impossible for me to properly fulfil my function as a survivor representative” due to the lack of engagement from executive group.
The final statement will be read by the parliament’s presiding officers – Jonathan O’Dea of the lower house and Matthew Mason-Cox of the upper house – followed by statements from members of the advisory group in each house.
The Broderick review, released in August, found systemic bullying and widespread sexual harassment in parliament. Five respondents claimed they had experienced actual or attempted sexual assaults at work.
It found sexual harassment occurred at unacceptable rates, with prevalence of experiences particularly high for women and those with diverse sexuality. The impacts were also found to be heightened for Indigenous and for culturally and linguistically diverse people.
Broderick recommended the presiding officers convene a working group with the advisory group and survivors to prepare and deliver a statement of acknowledgment.
“This statement should acknowledge the harms caused by bullying, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in NSW parliamentary workplaces, acknowledge the experiences of diverse survivors and commit to action and shared accountability to achieve safe and inclusive workplaces,” the recommendation read.
But there have been no joint meetings between the presiding officers in the parliamentary executive group and the advisory group. A public servant has instead been brought in to liaise between them.
One member of the group said: “Having someone bring a statement from the presiding officers for us to give feedback on and then having that go back and forth does not equate to a working group.”
Workers in the parliament were informed about the statement on Tuesday. Broderick’s team separately notified those who gave evidence.
But one former staff member said there was a lack of offical communication from the parliament to previous employees, which was “insulting” and “very dismissive”.
A spokesperson for the NSW parliament would not say if former employees had been notified.
The spokesperson said the executive group was “committed to addressing the matters highlighted in the Broderick Review”, while working “closely and collaboratively” with the advisory group.
Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues in Australia is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732) and the crisis support service Lifeline, 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org
