Extract from ABC News
By political reporter Anna Henderson
Former Liberal minister Sharman Stone has called out "secret men's business" in Federal Parliament and urged the Coalition to further investigate the unnamed serving Cabinet minister accused of a historical rape.
Key points:
- Sharman Stone said the Coalition must be satisfied the minister accused of historical rape has no further history of inappropriate behaviour
- She said she was concerned the culture in parliament meant people did not suffer serious consequences for their actions
- The former minister said an exit survey for departing MPs was full of references to bullying and sexism
Australian Federal Police have been notified of a letter sent to Prime Minister Scott Morrison accusing a minister of the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl in 1988, before the minister entered politics.
The letter was forwarded to AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw by Labor's Leader in the Senate Penny Wong and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who were also recipients of the letter.
"I'm presuming our Prime Minister's going to be told the name of the alleged person who this poor woman is saying raped her when she was just a young girl," Dr Stone told ABC's Radio National.
"Then it's a matter of character, and yes, the party should be looking at this person in terms of their ongoing preselection.
"The party itself must be satisfied that there isn't a further history of inappropriate, disrespectful behaviour."
The woman reported the allegation to New South Wales Police in February last year, triggering an investigation.
Four months later, she informed NSW Police that she no longer wished to proceed with the investigation and the following day she took her own life.
Dr Stone said she hoped the woman's death was not "in vain".
"I don't think it can simply stop there," she said.
"That would be appalling."
'Secret men's business has to stop'
The former member for the federal seat of Murray was a minister in the Howard Liberal-National government.
Ms Stone said she recalls a group of men in parliament who called themselves the "swinging dicks" and actively blocked Liberal MP Julie Bishop's leadership aspirations.
"It was a very gendered thing obviously when you call yourself that, and you're all men in the group," she said.
Ms Stone said she was concerned that the culture in the Parliament meant people did not suffer serious consequences for their actions.
"This whole secret men's business has to stop. It has to be about fairness, justice, equity."
Last week, former political staffer Brittany Higgins sent shockwaves through Parliament when she alleged she had been raped inside a ministerial office.
She said she'd held back from revealing the allegation for two years, for fear she would lose her job.
It follows separate reports of harassment and bullying inside the high pressure environment of Parliament House.
When she left parliament four years ago, Ms Stone said there was an exit survey for departing politicians.
"It is full of this material. The sexism, the concern about bullying, the concern about the lack of work-life balance."
She said it appeared little had changed.
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