Latest news with #ParliamentaryWorkplaceSupportSystem
West Australian
28-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Fatima Payman alleges older colleague made sexually suggestive remark toward her at work event
Fatima Payman has alleged an older male parliamentary colleague targeted her with sexually suggestive and racial comments toward during a work-related social function. The Labor-turned-independent senator said the colleague 'had too many drinks' and made comments such as 'let's get some wine into you and see you dance on the table.' In addition to being sexually suggestive, Senator Payman said the comments made her feel 'left out' as a Muslim. 'I don't drink and I don't need to be made … to feel left out because you do,' she told the ABC, referring to the colleague. 'It definitely wasn't appropriate.' Senator Payman said she 'told this colleague, 'Hey, I'm drawing a line, mate,'' before going on to lodge a formal complaint with the Parliamentary Workplace Support System. 'Being clear is being kind,' she said. 'You actually are helping somebody understand what your boundaries are by speaking up.' She did not reveal the outcome of that complaint but said she was happy with PWSS' 'swift' handling of the matter. 'Being looked after and taken care of by the Parliamentary Workplace (Support) Service was really, really good,' Senator Payman said.
Sky News AU
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Senator Fatima Payman lodges parliamentary complaint over inappropriate comments from colleague
Independent Senator Fatima Payman has lodged a formal complaint through the Parliamentary Workplace Support System (PWSS) against a senior male colleague. Ms Payman has alleged that the man made sexually suggestive and racially insensitive comments to her during a social event. Ms Payman said the incident occurred after the unnamed colleague had consumed 'too many drinks'. She recounted one of the remarks made to her by the man during an interview with the ABC's Triple J 'Hack' program. 'Let's get some wine into you and see you dance on the table,' the man said to her, according to Ms Payman. 'I don't drink and I don't need to be made … to feel left out because you do,' Ms Payman said, as she described the incident. 'I told this colleague, 'Hey, I'm drawing a line, mate', and moved on to making a formal complaint. 'It definitely wasn't appropriate.' Ms Payman described the comments as insensitive, given her identity as a Muslim woman who abstains from alcohol. The complaint was escalated to the PWSS, the independent body established in the wake of the Brittany Higgins rape allegations to address misconduct within parliament. Ms Payman expressed satisfaction with how the complaint was handled by the service. 'Being looked after and taken care of by the Parliamentary Workplace (Support) Service was really, really good,' she said. The incident comes after Ms Payman apologised for her claim that Iran was an "incredible" place for women. She told Iranian state-owned news outlet Press TV that Iran was an "incredible" place for women and claimed Western criticism of the regime was "propaganda". She further praised Iran for 'allowing for women to participate in the workforce to ensure that they have a voice'. When approached by a Press TV journalist, Ms Payman said she made comments that "reflected" what women had shared with her and not her "personal opinion". She recognised the Iranian community was "not homogenous" and said "individuals have different lived experiences". "I recognise that my comments did not reflect the realities of women who have suffered violence, brutality and severe human rights abuses," her statement read. "My intention was never to downplay or minimise their pain. If my words caused hurt, I sincerely apologise."
