Federal MPs could be slapped with thousands of dollars worth of fines for misconduct as part of measures to stamp out poor workplace behaviour in Parliament House.
Laws setting up an Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission were introduced to the House of Representatives on Wednesday, with the body being a recommendation from a landmark report into the culture of parliamentary workplaces.
The standards commission will have the power to conduct workplace investigations and impose sanctions under behaviour codes for parliamentarians, their staff and other people who work in federal parliament.
Sanctions could include a fine of between two to five per cent of the base salary of an MP or senator, or be suspended from parliament for a period of time.
A five per cent fine for a backbencher on the lowest parliamentary salary would be worth more than $11,000.
Minister for Finance and Women Katy Gallagher said the independent watchdog will make reports to the privileges committee, and rejected a suggestion the process would act as a protection racket.
“Often members are very senior members of respective political parties. They deal with difficult matters all the time and they haven’t traditionally operated in a partisan way at all,” she said.
“We believe the privileges committee is the right place for, you know, such a senior body to consider a report from the IPSC, and then they will have to make a decision on that, and report to the parliament.
“It’s through the transparency of needing to report back to the parliament, that it will be clear that they’ve had to respond to the IPSC report.”
The commission was recommended as part of a 2021 report carried out by the Australian Human Rights Commission into the workplace culture of Parliament House.
Assistant Public Service Minister Patrick Gorman said the reforms would allow for parliament to serve as a model workplace.
“These workplaces should uphold the standing of the parliament as a worthy reflection of the community,” he told parliament.
“The IPSC commencement will mean that the separate behaviour codes for parliamentarians and their staff and the behaviour standards for the Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces can finally be adopted.”
The government has said it hopes for the commission to be set up by the beginning of October.
“This bill provides further accountability. This bill will enable enforcement of behaviour codes and standards to improve safety and wellbeing across parliamentary Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces,” Mr Gorman said.
Nationals senator Matt Canavan told Nine’s Today program the name and shame powers would “encourage a whole lot of frivolous and vexatious complaints” to try and take down political opponents.
The draft behaviour codes were endorsed in principle in 2023 and will be formally adopted once the bill passes.
The codes include requirements to foster respectful and inclusive workplaces, and a prohibition on bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, assault and discrimination.
The types of sanctions imposed will depend on whether the respondent is a current or former parliamentarian, employee or other parliamentary workplace participant.
This post was originally published on Michael West.