*** We need to talk about Peter Poulos ***
An important thread on the treatment of women in parliament and accountability via Penny Sharpe MLC:
Peter Poulos is a Liberal Upper House member of the NSW Parliament. Until yesterday he was a Parliamentary Secretary.
He resigned from this role 5 weeks out from the NSW election because he admitted that while working for Matt Kean, he shared naked images of a female member of the Liberal Party to discredit her in the lead up to her preselection.
Peter Poulos is no longer a parliamentary secretary but he is about to be rewarded with a guaranteed 8 year term in the Upper House because he is #2 on the Liberal ticket.
In what workplace in Australia would someone still have a job after doing this? Let alone a guarantee of a job for 8 years? Let’s also remember that NSW has made intimate image abuse a crime with up to 3 years in gaol.
The Broderick Review uncovered toxic behaviour in NSW Parliament. The Premier said “Every workplace across our state should be free from harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault but this is not the case in the NSW parliament.”
The Premier also said “If parliamentarians cannot lead and provide an environment where the workplace is safe, what hope do we have for other workplaces across our great state?”
He also said MP’s indulging in this behaviour should leave parliament.
So far the Premier has said that Peter Poulos’s behaviour is unacceptable but he has not said the quiet bit out loud: that Poulos is going to be rewarded with an 8 year term in parliament.
It’s time for the Premier to intervene and remove Peter Poulos from the Upper House ticket. Otherwise his words mean nothing. #nswpol