<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>327206</docID> <postdate>2024-08-21 10:46:39</postdate> <headline>MPs behaving badly could be fined for misconduct</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-302369" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/IMG_7549-resized-e1709865458955.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>A bill to set up a parliamentary standards commission will be introduced in federal parliament.</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <b>Andrew Brown </b>and<b> Tess Ikonomou</b> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>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.</strong></p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>A five per cent fine for a backbencher on the lowest parliamentary salary would be worth more than $11,000.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>"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.</p> <p>"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.</p> <p>"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."</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Assistant Public Service Minister Patrick Gorman said the reforms would allow for parliament to serve as a model workplace.</p> <p>"These workplaces should uphold the standing of the parliament as a worthy reflection of the community," he told parliament.</p> <p>The Assistant Minister for the Public Service @PatrickGormanMP has introduced the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service Amendment (Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission) Bill 2024 in the House.</p> <p>"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."</p> <p>The government has said it hopes for the commission to be set up by the beginning of October.</p> <p>"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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>The draft behaviour codes were endorsed in principle in 2023 and will be formally adopted once the bill passes.</p> <p>The codes include requirements to foster respectful and inclusive workplaces, and a prohibition on bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, assault and discrimination.</p> <p>The types of sanctions imposed will depend on whether the respondent is a current or former parliamentarian, employee or other parliamentary workplace participant.</p> </body>