By Kyra Gillespie
Local federal MP Jason Wood has come under fire after he and several other male MPs left the parliamentary chambers as Chisholm MP Julia Banks stood to talk about the treatment of women in the Liberal Party on Tuesday 27 November.
Just one colleague – Craig Laundy – stayed to listen as Ms Banks announced her decision to quit the Liberal Party.
She said the Liberal Party’s attitude to women, as well as the wider Parliament’s attitude to women, is out of touch.
“Across both major parties the level of regard and respect for women in politics is years behind the business world,” Ms Banks said.
“Equal representation of men and women in this Parliament is an urgent imperative which will create a culture of change. There’s the blinkered rejection of quotas and support of ‘the merit myth’ but this is more than a numbers game.
“There is also a clear need for an independent and whistleblower system as found in many workplaces to enable reporting of misconduct of those in power without fear of reprisal or retribution. Often, when good women call out or are subject to bad behaviour, the reprisals, backlash and commentary portrays them as the bad ones – the liar, the troublemaker, the emotionally unstable or weak, or someone who should be silenced.”
She made her impassioned speech to a near-empty House of Representatives.
Mr Wood, the sitting member for the La Trobe electorate – which encompasses areas such as Narre Warren, Berwick, Beaconsfield, Pakenham and Gembrook – defended the walkout, claiming it was part of ordinary parliamentary proceedings.
“Each morning parliament opens with morning prayers, and must open with a quorum duty – which is the minimum number of members for parliament to operate,” Mr Wood explained.
“As I was on quorum duty, I was required to be there in the morning, and each morning most MP’s – unless about to speak – leave the chamber for meetings and so on.
“Secondly I am actually incapacitated as I had surgery last week, was on one crutch and have leave not to be in Parliament Chamber, except for opening of parliament and divisions.”
He said he did not stick around for the speech because he did not support Ms Banks’ decision.
“The speech was about a member of the Liberal Party leaving the party – why would I sit down to support such a move?
“I have only ever been elected through the support of hard working volunteers, those mums and dads and singles who each election come out to support myself as their local Liberal representative. I could never turn my back on those supporters.”
The Federal Member rejected mounting claims that the Liberal Party – and Parliament more generally – is hostile to women.
“In regards to attitude towards women – parliament issues always leak to the media, yet I still don’t know any specific allegation about any member raised which has been leaked to the media,” he said.
“The only way Parliament can improve is a less hostile question time, as that seems to be fair game whether male or female, young or old.
“In any work place everyone must treat everyone the way they want to be treated, regardless of sex, race, and religion.”
