Overview

• Senator Fatima Payman alleges a senior male colleague made racially insensitive and sexually suggestive remarks at an official social event and has lodged a formal PWSS complaint
• Payman described the PWSS process as swift and supportive, contrasting with past criticisms of the system’s effectiveness
• The PWSS annual report shows it handled about 3,000 calls in 2024, including 30 serious misconduct cases
• Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has two unresolved PWSS complaints of her own and labels the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission a “closed-door process” favouring major parties
• Both senators cite the incoming younger, more diverse parliament as a chance to drive cultural reform and push for measures like mandatory racism training