Newsletters 2024

After another combative parliamentary sitting fortnight, the Albanese Government has finally moved to establish the long-awaited Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission, which will enforce better behaviour among parliamentarians and their staff.

This legislation has been a long time coming. It builds on behavioural codes that I drafted with the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards almost 2 years ago, and is something that our community North Sydney has consistently said we want to see.

The fact is, Australians deserve better from our elected leaders than what we routinely see in parliamentary debates. Members of Parliament — myself included — face intimidatory behaviour including name-calling and aggression. Behaviour during Question Time in particular is disgraceful and a poor example to set for the wider community and our kids. Personally, one of my biggest concerns is that by allowing behaviour like that to continue in what is meant to be the highest office in the land, we are essentially giving others permission to behave poorly in other environments.

Let's be clear: abuse is not "passion", nor "banter", nor an unavoidable byproduct of our Westminster democracy. If we want to see better, more respectful workplace interactions in our banks, supermarkets, schools, and other places we certainly shouldn’t be behaving this way in the place where our nation’s laws are made. So while there are those who even now still insist that people just need to "toughen up", I will continue to push back against bullying — in workplaces all across our country.

Meanwhile, it has been another busy week of meetings, briefings and debate on topics ranging from the need for a Human Rights Act in Australia to the role of social media in suicide prevention for youth.

I reintroduced our community's Private Member's Bill to ban indefinite offshore detention of asylum-seekers and prohibit the detention of children. With asylum-seekers still spending an average of almost 3 years in Australian detention facilities — versus just 14 days in Canada and 55 days in the U.S. — it is clear we must do better to re-instate Australia's fundamental commitment to international humanitarian law.

I've also continued to push for more urgent action on climate change by arguing for the exclusion of fossil fuel projects from Future Made in Australia investments, and by backing Warringah MP Zali Steggall's motion to help prepare our building and insurance industries for climate risks.

If you would like to hear more about this parliamentary sitting fortnight, what our community has achieved and what my team and I will be focusing on in the weeks ahead, please do join us for a Zoom briefing on Monday 2 September at 6.30pm. I am grateful as always for your feedback and continued support, and look forward to getting back out and about in North Sydney.

- KT

COME AND MEET KYLEA

WHAT'S ON IN NORTH SYDNEY

IN THE NEWS

‘Unlike any workplace I’ve ever been in’: The push to punish MPs for bad behaviour - Sydney Morning Herald, 22 August 2024. Kylea says she will work through the newly introduced Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission legislation "to understand how it can lift that standard or behaviour and if it covers things like electronic direct mail that is disrespectful, inflammatory or propagates misinformation.”

Federal government unveils punishments for staff misconduct - ABC Afternoon Briefing, 21 August 2024. Media coverage of crossbenchers' responses to the newly introduced Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission Bill 2024. Citing her extensive professional experience, Kylea says the bad behaviour she has witnessed cannot be justified as "banter" nor a product of Westminster parliamentary debate. Watch from the 14'08" mark.

Agency to investigate MPs' behaviour - ABC Radio, 21 August 2024. Kylea is backing the introduction of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission, which would be able to issue fines and other penalties for MP's and staffers who misbehave in the workplace.

MPs call out experiences of women in parliament - Women's Agenda, 21 August 2024. If we can’t expect some basic decency standards in parliament among our elected officials, writes editor Angela Priestley, how can we expect it elsewhere, especially at a time of diminishing social cohesion in Australia?

Crossbenchers call out ‘misogyny’ of Coalition MPs in question time - The Guardian, 21 August 2024. "Many people, often women, face this sort of behaviour in parliament - the likes of which would not be accepted in any other workplace," Kylea says. "It’s clear the Coalition still has a woman problem."

Tink bill seeks to end long-term refugee detainment - North Sydney Sun, 19 August 2024. Local media coverage of Kylea's Private Member's Bill which seeks to address what the long-standing issues of cruelty and human rights violations that have characterised Australia’s immigration detention system for more than three decades.

'An ugly debate that's become very personal': 10 News on Gaza racism row - 10 News First, 19 August 2024. Media coverage of how Members of Parliament have handled the debate over Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's proposed Palestine visa ban. "We need to be able to identify what racism looks like," Kylea says. "If we can't call it out when we see it, we can't do anything about it."

Independent MP slams Australia's immigration detention policy - ABC News Breakfast, 19 August 2024. Kylea is introducing a private members' bill to overhaul Australia's indefinite immigration detention policy, which she says has painted our nation's reputation as 'one of the cruellest' countries in the world.

Teal bill proposes 90-day cap on immigration detention - Canberra Times, 19 August 2024. Kylea is reintroducing a bill to limit immigration detention to 90 days and prohibit detaining children. "In the current environment, we are still a nation that has one of the worst reputations globally in terms of meeting our international human rights obligations," she says.

More media mentions here.