Parliament staff filmed solo sex acts on MP’s desk
MALE government staff in Australia’s parliament filmed themselves performing sex acts on the desk of a female MP, a whistleblower has said.
Images were leaked to The Australian newspaper and Channel 10 by a source, said to be a former government staff member, to back multiple claims of lewd behaviour in Parliament House.
Along with the videos, reportedly two years old, there were claims people used a prayer room to have sex and brought sex workers into parliament.
One staff member has been removed from his role over the revelations.
The prime minister, Scott Morrison, acknowledged mounting anger at his handling of a series of allegations about the mistreatment of women in politics, as he vowed to drive cultural change.
He described the reports as ‘disgusting’ and said he would speak with staff to remind them of their responsibilities.
The ruling coalition formed by the Liberal and National parties has come under sustained pressure in recent weeks after allegations of rape by a Liberal party staff member, including one in the office of a cabinet minister.
The issue, which has prompted a slump in Mr Morrison’s poll ratings, spurred
tens of thousands of people to join in protests across Australia last week.
‘I acknowledge that many Australians, especially women, believe that I have not heard them, and that greatly distresses me,’ the prime minister told journalists in Canberra. ‘We must do better... we must get this house in order.’
However, he offered few concrete proposals to improve the workplace culture in parliament, insisting changes would be announced in the coming weeks.