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A female parliamentary staffer has been injured in the House of Representatives as Coalition MPs scrambled to exit the room – prompting a warning for all politicians to prevent another ‘disgusting’ incident happening again.
Dan Tehan, Angus Taylor, Zoe McKenzie and Andrew Hastie were among seven MPs to apologise in the House of Representatives over the fracas on Wednesday morning.
The employee was pushed into the doorway and injured her arm as several MPs rushed to leave after Speaker Milton Dick ordered that the doors be locked for a division.
Mr Dick said: ‘I’m particularly disgusted by this behaviour and I will not tolerate it for staff.
‘For a staff member of this chamber to be treated in this way, when they are simply doing their job is disrespectful and a very serious matter.
‘I want to make it clear that I’m committed to ensuring that this building and this chamber are safe and respectful places of work.
‘No staff members should be hurt in the course of doing their work in service of this House.’
A parliamentary staffer has been injured in the chamber as Coalition MPs scrambled to exit the room
Queensland MP Llew O’Brien issued a particularly heartfelt apology on Wednesday morning.
He said: ‘I unreservedly apologise to the house and yourself for leaving after your direction yesterday. And I also apologise to the staff if they were involved in this.
‘Staff here in the chamber do an incredible job and one of them is not crowd control. And I apologise to them for that.’
Zoe McKenzie added that she ‘deeply regrets any impact caused to a staff member involved’ in her attempt to leave the room.
Andrew Hastie said he ‘apologises unreservedly’ to the staffer involved.
Zoe McKenzie and Angus Taylor were among the first to apologise
Andrew Hastie said he ‘apologises unreservedly’ to the staffer involved
On Tuesday night, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Tony Burke urged Mr Dick to review the footage of the incident.
‘Mr Speaker, regardless of Practice and standing orders, we cannot be in a position, as a House, where people are using their physical size to push past the members of staff after you have said, ”Lock the doors”,’ he said.
After the Speaker gives orders that the door be locked, no member is permitted from entering or leaving the chamber.
All MPs have been warned they will receive a letter reviewing the guidelines and expectations of them in their roles representing the community.
‘No member’s time is worth more than a staff member’s safety,’ he said.
Queensland MP Llew O’Brien (right) issued a particularly heartfelt apology on Wednesday morning
Six MPs voiced regret over the actions
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
