The Leadership Taskforce overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ Set the Standard: Report on the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces (the Jenkins Report), held its first meeting on Thursday, 3 February 2022.
Establishing the Leadership Taskforce was a key recommendation made in the Jenkins Report. Consistent with Recommendation 2 of the Jenkins Report, the Leadership Taskforce’s role will include:
- developing and communicating an implementation plan with specific timeframes
- defining and communicating common values which can drive cultural change across parliamentary workplaces
- preparing an annual public report of progress made in the implementation of recommendations
- tracking, on a quarterly basis, key measures of a safe and respectful work environment to monitor progress in implementation.
The Taskforce discussed the delivery of a Joint Statement of Acknowledgement, which was the first recommendation of the Report, as well as the establishment of a Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards to inquire into and report on matters relating to the development of codes of conduct for Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces.
The Leadership Taskforce is independently chaired by Ms Kerri Hartland. Its members are Minister for Women Marise Payne, Minster for Finance and Leader of the Government in the Senate Simon Birmingham, Special Minister of State Ben Morton, Shadow Special Minister of State Don Farrell, Shadow Minister for Women Tanya Plibersek, Shadow Minister for Finance Katy Gallagher, Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate Larissa Waters, and Ms Zali Steggall MP OAM, as a Crossbench member.
The Leadership Taskforce will convene regular meetings to oversee implementation of the recommendations over the two years recommended by the Jenkins Report, and will provide a public statement after each meeting.