MOTIONS

Senator CHISHOLM (Queensland—Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Assistant Minister for Resources and Deputy Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (15:25): The government have made clear to Senator Thorpe that her comments were incredibly inappropriate. We do not support them. Whether she intended them as a threat or not, she should have considered the impact her words would have on those who work in the building—not just those of us fortunate enough to be elected representatives but the hundreds of people who actually make this chamber and this parliament work.

I note that earlier today we lodged a motion in relation to this matter. Those terms were circulated and would have been voted on tomorrow. I do note that this opposition motion has incorporated those terms in paragraphs (c) to (f), so we will be supporting (c) to (f) of the motion, but we won't be supporting (a) and (b).

Censure motions in this place are usually limited to conduct of parliamentary matters relating to ministerial responsibility. There are occasions where, both in government and in opposition, we have supported censure motions in relation to actions or comments made by senators outside of this place. This includes public comments made by Senators Anning and Babet.

This was the right thing to do. It was important that the Senate took a unified approach to condemning those hateful and harmful comments which sought to cause unacceptable harm to the community. But we do not think that a censure can be the default response, particularly in reference to social media and other public commentary.

Each of us in this chamber needs to take responsibility for our words and the impact of our words. All Australians have the right to be safe at work, whether it's work in retail, hospitality or hospitals, or whether they are our parliamentary staff, chamber staff or senators in this place. It is incumbent on all of us to lift the standards of behaviour in this place and ensure that we are not using our platforms as senators to make others feel unsafe.

Too frequently, debate in this place has descended into hateful and personal attacks, and, far too regularly, inappropriate and sometimes abusive comments have been made towards other senators. This behaviour would not be accepted in any other workplace, and it is not acceptable here. It falls short of the standards we have as a collective responsibility to uphold, and it makes people feel unsafe in their place of work.

I remind all senators that we share this workplace with our parliamentary staff and chamber staff. The way we conduct ourselves in this place has an impact on them. We also must be conscious of the example we set to visitors to this building and the chamber, including school groups.

It is incumbent on all of us to ensure our words and actions, whether in this place or in public debate, are fostering a safe and inclusive parliament for those who work and visit here. I move: That the question be now put. Question agreed to.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: The question now is that the motion moved by Senator Ruston be agreed to. Senator Chisholm: I ask that the question be put separately, with paragraphs (a) and (b) together, and then paragraphs (c) through (f) together. The PRESIDENT: Senator Chisholm has asked that the motion be split, so currently we are dealing with parts (a) and (b).

The question is that parts (a) and (b) be agreed to.