These were arguments and political questions that we talked about generally because we thought Australian women deserved a government that would listen to their interests and respond to them. We were critical of their approach to women’s economic inclusion and more generally in their attitudes and approach to the nature of women’s roles in leadership. We thought that that was so in relation to women’s safety. And we were very clear prior to the last election that we thought that the behaviour and approach to the interests of Australian women by the previous government was letting Australian women down. They went to a broader debate that was taking place in the community that was important to Australian women. These were matters of significant public interest. JENNY MCALLISTER: I think we consider that we pursued these matters in the forums that were available to us as an opposition, including in question time. HAMISH MACDONALD: But isn’t there also a question for your government about why you didn’t complete that process once taking office? Not clear on the answer to that. The reasons for the withholding of the Gaetjens Review are really questions for members of that government, that former government. Labor members and senators over time have asked questions in the Parliament using the forums available to us in the previous Parliament about how these matters were handled by the former government. JENNY MCALLISTER: These really are questions that need to be put to the members of the former government. HAMISH MACDONALD: But do you agree that the information that it may have turned up is valuable and needs to be dealt with? JENNY MCALLISTER: Well, I think it is appropriate that the former government answer questions about the way that that review was conducted and why its findings were never released. HAMISH MACDONALD: But isn’t that review incomplete? Those are really questions for members of that former government rather than questions for our government. As you know, the Gaetjens Review was commissioned by Mr Morrison, and the findings of that review never released. JENNY MCALLISTER: Well, these were matters for the former government. Why is that? Why did this government not continue those endeavours to find out what had happened? HAMISH MACDONALD: The Gaetjens Review into essentially who knew what and when in relation to all of this did not proceed after the election. I hear Senator Bragg’s call for that, but I do understand the concern he is raising about the overall way that the matter is being dealt with. And I also know that the Attorney-General Mr Dreyfus expressed his concern about some of these issues in the Parliament yesterday. I’m not in a position to provide details about the approach that they are taking. JENNY MCALLISTER: I understand that aspects of this matter have been referred to the AFP. HAMISH MACDONALD: Is Andrew Bragg right, though? Does there need to be an inquiry into how these private text messages supplied as part of the judicial process have made their way into the public domain? There is no problem with questions being asked and answered in the Senate, and you’ve seen some of that take place in recent days as well. But, of course it is proper for matters to be examined in the Senate. And I have to say that I am a little disappointed in the tone and the approach that’s been adopted in recent days by some commentators. And I had hoped that in establishing and adopting the Setting the Standard report that had been prepared for the Parliament by Kate Jenkins we had agreed that we would handle these matters in a particular way. That was a very important national conversation in recent years driven by a number of women, Australian women, who talked about their experiences. JENNY MCALLISTER: Well, Hamish, over recent years Australian women and, indeed, women around the world have raised their voices asking for political leaders to take responsibility for securing their safety, particularly in workplaces. HAMISH MACDONALD: How ugly has it been watching all of this unfold in the Senate? There’s a significant announcement in that area this morning which we will get to in a moment. Jenny McAllister is the Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy. HAMISH MACDONALD: That’s Senator Andrew Bragg speaking to us earlier.
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