New Zealand Listener – August 24, 2019

AUGUST 24 2019 LISTENER 9

LIFE

Smokescreen by another name

Setting up

reviews and

investigations is

a common ploy

for keeping the

media at bay.

ST

EV

E

BO

LT

O

N

BILL

RALSTON

A

llegations of bullying, sexual

assault and rape are demand-

ing of full investigation in

any workplace. When they

are repeatedly made about condi-

tions within Parliament, they merit

a lot more transparency than we

have seen over the past year.

After the Francis review earlier this

year into bullying and harassment

in Parliament, Speaker Trevor Mal-

lard claimed it revealed at least three

cases of “serious sexual assault”

that amounted to rape. The review

detailed 50 com-

plaints of unwanted

touching, 54 of

unwanted sexual

advances and 14

reports of sexual

assault – 11 of these

from current staff

members. Legally,

nothing much

appeared to happen

despite the seri-

ous nature of the

allegations.

Then there was

a separate inter-

nal review by the

Labour Party into

complaints by,

it is reported, 12

women about a par-

liamentary staffer,

alleging sexual

How many

inquiries will it take

to get to the bottom

of Parliament’s

sex allegations?

assault, rape and offers to pay for sex. No discipli-

nary action was taken.

At least four of the women then resigned from

the party and seven made further complaints

about the process, claiming they were ignored.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern then announced

an independent investigation of the previous

review, which apparently is still under way.

Opposition Deputy Leader Paula Bennett claims

at least one of the women came to her, alleging

the complaints had not been taken seriously. The

complainants, some of whom were said to work

in the Beehive and some in the Prime Minister’s

office, were reported to be distressed, crying,

having panic attacks and suffering serious anxiety.

The Speaker is not involved in this investigation

because the “parliamentary staffer” at the centre

of the allegations is paid directly by the Labour

Party, not Parliament. That is odd because, regard-

less of where the alleged harasser’s pay cheque

comes from, his behaviour affects employees

in the parliamentary workplace. The Speaker is

responsible for the health and safety of all parlia-

mentary workers.

I

n politics, setting up reviews and

investigations is a common ploy

for keeping the media at bay, and

it is hard not to be cynical about the

latest “no comment” from the Prime

Minister in relation to this “inde-

pendent” inquiry.

I hope it is truly independent and

that the findings, presumably with

the names of the complainants and

the accused redacted for privacy rea-

sons, are made public. However, as

it is a review commissioned by the

Labour Party and not Parliament, I

somehow doubt that will happen.

In any other workplace, I suspect,

this many complaints would have

resulted in a transparent process, the

complainants would not have felt

ignored and definite action would

have resulted. The problem here is

that we are talking about a political

environment in which there is

plenty of experience in obfuscation,

evasion and

the clouding

of issues with a

smokescreen.

In case it

looks like I am

just attacking

Labour, I should

remind readers

of the scrutiny

National came

under last year

with allegations

of bullying and

sexual impropriety

against MP

Jami-Lee Ross.

Parliament is

obviously a toxic

place and it’s lucky

it’s not running

the country ...

Oh. l