After a bruising two weeks in federal parliament, MPs have been told to reflect on their behaviour during the winter break.
House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick reminded parliamentarians about the code of conduct they endorsed at the beginning of the year.
The code was a recommendation of the landmark Set the Standard report, which unveiled widespread misconduct within Parliament House.
The Speaker said all members had a shared responsibility to develop a safe and respectful culture in the building.
“Our general demeanour and the courtesy we show one another in the chamber matters, from the language we use to the tone and volume of our contributions,” he said.
“I encourage each of us to genuinely reflect on our own behaviour and consider what contribution we are making, and could make, towards a safe and respectful workplace environment for the parliament.”
Government ministers in both houses faced multiple accusations about politicising former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations while in opposition.
But the debate, initiated by the coalition, ultimately surfaced fresh allegations against one of the Liberals’ own, Victorian senator David Van.
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe and former Liberal senator Amanda Stoker accused him of inappropriate conduct towards them in previous years.
There were also claims against him from a third unnamed person.
Senator Van denied the allegations but resigned from the Liberal Party after being expelled from the party room.
Coalition senators unsuccessfully tried to bring a censure motion against Finance Minister Katy Gallagher for misleading parliament about her knowledge of Ms Higgins’ allegations before they were made public.
Liberal senator Simon Birmingham said the repeated questions could have been avoided if the minister had been up-front.
“Senator Gallagher says that she has always acted ethically, but an ethical approach would be, firstly, to not mislead,” he said.
“Secondly, would be to own up if you have misled, to apologise … and to appropriately correct the record.”
But Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the coalition had failed to learn lessons about parliamentary conduct following the Set the Standard report.
“These reforms have made a difference,” she said.
“It will take all of us to ensure they actually have an effect – it will take reflection and it will take responsibility for change.
“Too many of (the coalition) have learned nothing from the national reckoning of two years ago.”
Politicians will return to Canberra on July 31.
By Maeve Bannister in Canberra
