In the media
the examiner
"INCOMING independent MP Kylea Tink says a binding code of conduct for politicians and their staff will help restore public confidence.
The new North Sydney MP is among a number of newly elected politicians calling for greater accountability.
"As the highest office in the land ... the expectations on behaviour should be exemplary, not just kind of left to a free flow," she told ABC Radio on Monday.
"Ideally, it would apply to every single person who works in the building, and I think it should be based on values that Australians expect us to model."
The code of conduct was one of multiple recommendations made as part of Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins's review of workplace culture within Parliament House, which was handed down last year.
A joint committee on parliamentary standards was set up in February to examine the design of a code to prevent bullying and harassment, how breaches could be investigated, and a range of penalties.
A report is set to be handed down by November.
Ms Tink said it would make sense for the code to be enforced by an independent body.
"I've worked across business for 35 years and definitely every time you signed a code of conduct, if you breached it, then there were consequences for breaching that," she said.
"They weren't always necessarily immediately dismissal, but they were definitely cause for intervention."
Constitutional law expert Professor George Williams said such a code of conduct could be legislated.
"Westminster parliaments like our federal and state parliaments have an inherent power to discipline their members," he said.
"This power arose recently in the controversy surrounding NSW MP Gareth Ward, where Premier Dominic Perrottet threatened to have him removed from parliament if he did not resign."
While federal parliament does not have the ability to expel MPs due to the Parliamentary Privileges Act, Professor Williams said this could be altered.
"If an enforceable code of conduct also removed this limitation in the Parliamentary Privileges Act, then members could once again be expelled from the federal parliament," he said.
Ms Tink, who is one of a large number of MPs in the next parliament who will sit on the crossbench, said the surge in independent lower house members could help bring about change.
"Arguably, the crossbench is almost a third force in parliament, and I honestly believe that the focus of that third force is going to be opening up a conversation in the parliamentary building," she said.
"Just a code in itself isn't going to fix an environment that is fundamentally toxic."
Other relevant posts
ABC Mornings Post-Budget Panel
ABC Radio Mornings, 26 March 2025
Kylea speaks with host Kathryn Robinson and Fowler's Dai Le MP about the 2025 Federal Budget, describing the government's headline-grabbing tax breaks as a "very tiny, very small green shoot" that indicates that Labor may be prepared to begin to consider larger scale tax reform. When asked about the upcoming election, Kylea reiterates her commitment to the community independent movement: "We need everyday Australians stepping up ... to bring their real-life, lived experience into Parliament House, because it's only when you have that experience that you understand the impact that some of these reforms will have."
Fairy Bread: A Bread & Butter Budget Sprinkled with Sugar Hits
Media Statement, 26 March 2025
The 2025 Federal budget is a classic bread and butter budget that focuses on the bare basics but lacks ambition. This time however, it’s more like fairy bread in that it’s sprinkled with a few sugar hits that offer temporary relief for some but no long term, lasting benefits.
The Coalition’s attack on the climate authority is a cynical attempt to put ideology over facts – it must be called out
The Guardian, 27 February 2025
On the Coalition's attack on the Climate Change Authority, Kylea writes: "As my grandmother used to say: we are all entitled to our own opinions. But we are not entitled to our own facts."
When does bipartisanship happen? When mutual self-interest is served
The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 February 2025
Economics editor Ross Gittins has described a bipartisan deal on electoral reform as “collusion”, saying the major parties have passed reforms that “advance their interests at the expense of the voters.” He says a minority government would allow independents to push for “braver policies in return for keeping the minority government in power. Not such a bad arrangement.”
‘Swimming in debt’: Sydney’s $14 billion student loan burden
The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 February 2025
New data shows that North Sydney is region with the 4th highest number of students with HELP debt (44,030).
The 12 teal battlegrounds to watch out for this election
Australian Financial Review, 26 February 2025
After the wave of independents that swept the 2022 election, here are the 35 community-backed independents to watch out for as we head towards the polls.
Every Friday
Kylea's newsletter hits the inboxes of people right across our electorate of North Sydney. Stay up to date with Kylea's plans and progress as she tells us about her week speaking with people in our community. We'll also highlight the latest community events and initiatives to get involved with.