A female Liberal backbencher says it’s “disgusting” some MPs have been told not to attend the speeches of Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins this week.
Ms Tame and Ms Higgins will front the National Press Club on Wednesday after making their opposition to the prime minister’s treatment of women and lack of action on women’s issues well known.
A Liberal backbencher told AAP pressure was being applied for MPs not to attend the event, in order to avoid embarrassing the government.
“There’s no trust in us (MPs), so it can’t be reciprocated,” the backbencher said.
“The prime minister can’t have it both ways. (Scott Morrison) can’t say he doesn’t trust us to act in the interest of the party and the government and listen to (concerns) about an important issue in parliament and the country.”
The prime minister’s office denied the claims, saying parliamentarians are able to attend the event providing they meet their duties in parliament.
A spokesman said leave from the House of Representatives was a matter for the government whip under specific conditions.
Given the tight numbers in the chamber, it is uncommon for backbenchers to go too far from Parliament House during bill debates.
Several senior ministers will be attending the event.
Ms Tame is a survivor of child sexual abuse and has been vocal in her criticism of the coalition government’s response to women’s safety issues.
Ms Higgins is a former Liberal staffer who came forward with an allegation of sexual assault in a ministerial office in 2019 and has been championing safety reform in parliamentary workplaces.
It comes as the government is due to act on two key recommendations from a review into parliamentary culture by sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins this week.
Ms Jenkins outlined 28 recommendations in her Set the Standard report.
It includes a statement of acknowledgement and the establishment of a committee on parliamentary standards to inquire and report on matters relating to the development of a code of conduct.
Both have been flagged by Finance Minister Simon Birmingham for this parliamentary sitting week.
It is understood that some Liberal cabinet ministers will be attending the speech.
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