Premier defends candidate over podcast comments

Western Australia Premier Roger Cook has publicly defended his Secret Harbour by-election candidate, Labor’s Georgia Tree, following the resurfacing of comments she made five years ago criticizing the Australian Labor Party’s handling of sexual harassment claims. The remarks, made during a 2021 political podcast, were recently brought to light, prompting renewed scrutiny of both the candidate and the broader issue of workplace safety in politics. The controversy stems from a 2021 episode of a political podcast where Georgia Tree, then a Labor member, discussed the party’s approach to addressing allegations of misconduct within its ranks. At the time, the conversation followed the public accusation by former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who claimed she was raped by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann during a night out at Parliament House in 2019. Two Federal Court judgments later confirmed that Lehrmann had, on the balance of probabilities, committed the act. The case sparked a national debate on workplace safety and gender-based violence, particularly within political institutions. During the podcast, Tree expressed concerns about how the Labor Party handled such allegations, suggesting that members often avoided confronting internal wrongdoing to protect the party’s reputation. “You would have people offhand say, ‘Oh God, like we probably shouldn’t go too hard on X because what about like, the skeletons in our closet?’” she remarked, comparing the situation to the Catholic Church’s tendency to keep sensitive matters private. “It's like the Catholic Church, right, like we don’t want to taint the brand, so let’s deal with everything in-house, and everyone just shut up.” Cook, responding to the recent media attention, emphasized his support for Tree, calling her a “person who doesn’t take bull crap” and praising her willingness to challenge inappropriate behavior. He noted that the context of her remarks was tied to the specific allegations involving the Liberal Party, and stressed that attitudes toward workplace conduct had evolved significantly since then. “The context in which she was speaking was five years ago, in the context of the accusations by Brittany Higgins against a Liberal member of parliament,” he explained. “Things have changed significantly over the last decade in relation to the way people conduct politics.” Tree herself has reaffirmed her stance on the comments, stating she “absolutely” stands by them. She acknowledged that no organization is immune to criticism, but argued that progress has been made. “Any workplace in this country, in the world, will absolutely not be perfect. We can always do better,” she said. She highlighted her role in advocating for reforms, including the Jenkins Review, which exposed widespread sexual harassment in Parliament, and organizing a parliamentary sit-in to raise awareness of workplace issues. “I’m really proud of the work that I did alongside other staffers that led to change,” she added. “The staffers now that work in federal parliament have access to HR, there’s compulsory training, and there’s confidential helplines that they can now access.” Despite these efforts, Tree admitted that while conditions have improved, further action is needed. She declined to specify what additional steps should be taken, though she reiterated her belief that transparency and accountability remain essential. The Secret Harbour by-election, set to become a key battleground in Western Australia, is expected to reflect broader shifts in political dynamics. Historically a safe seat for Labor, the constituency has become increasingly competitive due to the retirement of longtime MP Paul Papalia, who held the seat for nearly two decades. The race is likely to serve as a barometer of voter sentiment toward One Nation and the effectiveness of the opposition parties in mobilizing support.