Politics

Sarah Hanson-Young claims culture of ‘intimidation and bullying’ in parliament

Jul 03, 2018

Sarah Hanson-Young accused Senator Leyonhjelm of "slut-shaming" her. Source: Getty.

Just days after she slammed Senator David Leyonhjelm over sexist comments he made to her in chamber, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has now spoken out about the culture of sexism in Australian Parliament.

The Senator for South Australia called out Senator Leyonhjelm in the Senate on Thursday over comments he made during an earlier session, claiming he told her to “stop shagging men” during a debate about the issuing of non-lethal weapons to women as a way of preventing sexual attacks.

Leyonhjelm has since refused to back down or apologise, saying he is “entitled to call out double standards” and accusing Sarah Hanson-Young of labelling all men as rapists, despite being unable to recall exactly when she supposedly said it during an interview with ABC’s Virginia Trioli.

Speaking to students at Adelaide University on Tuesday, Hanson-Young called out other members of parliament, who she did not identify, saying she has “tried to ignore” sexist comments and “bullying” during her 10-year political career.

As reported in The Advertiser, she said: “Some people in that place, when they cannot win an argument, when they cannot be bothered mounting an argument, they use intimidation and bullying.

“Consistently, this is gendered. It’s sexist and it involves sexual slurs. Over the years I’ve tried to ignore the mutterings, the rumour mill – ‘Did you hear she slept with such and such?’ … ‘You look tired today.’ ‘What are you wearing that for’.

“There’s one particular senator who says to me every time I’m in an argument, every time I am stripping his argument to pieces, ‘Why don’t you smile at me, Sarah?”

Thank you for all the words of support and care; they mean a lot to me. I am seeking legal advice – as many of you have suggested. As a woman, a sister and a mother, I will continue to stand up. I will not be intimidated or bullied by offensive & sexist slurs.

— 💚🌏 Sarah Hanson-Young (@sarahinthesen8) July 2, 2018

The 36-year-old Senator for South Australia went on to say that the majority of MPs are “decent people”, adding: “I want to make this very clear – most members of the parliament are decent people, most men in the parliament are decent men, but there are some who are absolute cowards.

“These men over the years have turned mutterings into now slurs that are shouted across the chamber. They yell out men’s names at me while I’m on my feet.”

The debate began last week when Hanson-Young told the Senate: “Earlier today, during the motion relating to violence against women, Senator Leyonhjelm yelled an offensive and sexist slur at me from across the chamber. After the vote on the motion was complete, I walked over to the senator and confronted him directly.

“I asked whether I had heard him correctly. He confirmed that he had yelled, ‘You should stop shagging men, Sarah.’ Shocked, I told him that he was a creep. His reply was to tell me to ‘f… off’. I informed the leader of the Greens, and he has raised it with both Senator Leyonhjelm and the President.

“I am disappointed that the senator has refused to apologise for this offensive and sexist slur, and I call on him to formally withdraw and apologise directly.”

The 66-year-old Liberal Senator later justified his comments to Sky News, saying: “Sarah called out words to the effect of, ‘yeah they should stop raping women’. So I responded to her, she didn’t like my response. When the division was over, she came over to me and called me a creep. I told her to go and make love in another place and she decided that was all really bad. There won’t be any backing of or apologising.”

However, Hanson-Young is now threatening to sue Leyonhjelm for defamation, leading Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to weigh in on the argument, telling reporters in Sydney on Tuesday “that type of language has no place in parliament”.

The Prime Minister said: “David Leyonhjelm’s offensive remarks should have been withdrawn the moment they were uttered and he should have apologised. It’s not too late for him to withdraw and apologise. That type of language has no place in Parliament and it shouldn’t have a place in any workplace.”