Dean Jacqui; Mallard Trevor; McAnulty KieranCHAIRPERSON (Hon Jacqui Dean): Kieran McAnulty. Rt Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Speaker): Sorry can I just deal with that right now? CHAIRPERSON (Hon Jacqui Dean): Rt Hon Trevor Mallard. Rt Hon TREVOR MALLARD: No. KIERAN McANULTY (Labour—Wairarapa): Thank you Madam Chair. What concerns me about this debate is that we appear to have lost sight that there were—that there are—accounts of serious allegations about sexual assault. I'm making no judgment on those; I am talking about the accounts that there have been accusations. When you hear of such accusations they must be taken seriously and it is vitally important that we as parliamentarians do not use our position to politicise these to drag them out and revictimise those who are accusing of sexual assault. We heard two examples from the previous contributions that concern me greatly. Mr Woodhouse stands up and claims that he has been very careful about what he says; yet we have heard—not just tonight but at the select committee which led to the report that we're discussing tonight—that after a complaint of sexual assault Parliamentary Service placed the complainant and those that they'd complained against back working next to each other. That is disgraceful and that is the sort of behaviour that the Francis report provided recommendations to change. Mr Woodhouse has the gall to stand here tonight and suggest that that could have been some sort of arrangement or some sort of misunderstanding. That is the sort of response that is the sort of language that revictimises those that are accusing of sexual assault. This is the sort of behaviour that we should all as parliamentarians avoid. If we as a House wish to ask the Minister about conduct that he himself has already apologised for go for gold. I'm not going to defend that behaviour. He has apologised. He has admitted that it was wrong. But let's not in this process fall into the trap of revictimising these women. We have heard tonight that there are up to five accusations of sexual harassment in Parliament. They need to be taken seriously. They once were not and I don't think—whilst I repeat not attempting to defend the decision that the Speaker has now apologised for—that should take away from what is very clear that in his role as Speaker he was attempting to take these very seriously and do what Parliament has not done and actually deal with these as they deserve. Tim van de Molen: Wairarapa's coming back to us. KIERAN McANULTY: So I think that—they can joke again politicising it. Here I am making a serious comment about a serious issue and they joke about what seats they're going to win at the next election. I say to Mr van de Molen if you wish to contribute how about you focus on the debate and stop—CHAIRPERSON (Hon Jacqui Dean): Order! KIERAN McANULTY: —trying to politicise this. CHAIRPERSON (Hon Jacqui Dean): Order! Order! The member will not bring the Speaker into the debate. KIERAN McANULTY: Oh you're right Madam Chair. I shouldn't have said you" but I stand by everything else I said. CHAIRPERSON (Hon Jacqui Dean): Kieran McAnulty. KIERAN McANULTY: Thank you very much. I repeat: again we saw accusations which I believe were political in nature. Mr Bishop spent a large contribution of his speech making the point that he believes the Minister will not repeat his comments outside the House. I note that the member did not repeat his general debate contribution which attacked the Speaker outside the House. So let's not play silly political games and actually focus on the fact here that this report—this annual review—focuses on the fact that Parliamentary Service has come a long way in dealing with bullying and harassment but by its own admission has a long long way still to go."