Australians want a Parliament that is safe, and that models respect and integrity.
A strong Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians is one of the best ways to achieve this.
By creating clear, consistent rules that our representatives are bound by, we can create a Parliament that we can all be proud of.
Right now, the Parliamentary Standards Committee has been tasked with considering and drafting this Parliamentary Code of Conduct.
Our organisations are concerned about the reports of violence, discrimination and issues of integrity in Parliament.
We want to see a strong, representative democracy that exemplifies the values of Australia. We want to see our Parliament act with integrity and respect in service to our community.
We come together to call on this Committee, and our Parliament, to deliver a strong Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians that will meet the public expectation and restore trust and confidence in our democracy.
This is an opportunity for the Parliament to set a high standard for Australia, and for the conduct we will accept.
The Federal Parliament must take action to ensure a Code that: reflects high standards consistently across the Parliament, adopts proper processes when issues are raised, and ultimately, succeeds in restoring public confidence.
To be successful, this Code of Conduct must meet public expectations, and not repeat the mistakes of the past that led us to this point.
This means a Code of Conduct must:
Explicitly prohibit discrimination and exclude behaviours that are unacceptable in any workplace, especially our Parliament. To address this, the Code itself must include protected attributes under current discrimination law, which include: ability, age, gender, intersex status, race, religion and sexual orientation. The Code can be supported by detailed policies that sit beneath it, and these policies can reference other attributes and other bases for discrimination that can be developed by the Commission over time.
Include values that reflect what Australians expect: respect, integrity and a commitment to public service.
Apply to all conduct that relates to a parliamentarian’s duties and responsibilities - both professional, and sometimes, personal: in cases where this conduct is damaging to their role as representatives. Parliamentarians are role models to our community. This means that their behaviour must reflect the values and high expectations of national leaders and representatives at all times.
To have confidence that Parliamentarians will be held to these standards, there must be:
An Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission staffed with people with lived experience and experts in trauma informed care, with power to investigate alleged breaches of the Code and to make public findings and recommendations.
A Parliamentary Code of Conduct that is put into legislation – to ensure there is one set of rules for everyone.
We, the undersigned, ask the Committee and the Parliament, to deliver a Code of Conduct that delivers on these requirements and meets the public expectation.
Australian Democracy Network
Democracy in Colour
Fair Agenda
Human Rights Law Centre
National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence (NASASV)
Transparency International Australia
