Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell has made shocking revelations about experiencing systematic sexual harassment from unidentified colleagues since entering Victorian parliament.
Parliamentary Harassment Allegations
During a debate on Thursday concerning groundbreaking legislation to restrict nondisclosure agreements, Purcell delivered emotional testimony detailing the inappropriate behaviour she has allegedly faced. The MP described receiving unwanted late-night messages, harassing phone calls and texts, and uninvited visits to her office from someone within the parliamentary community.
"For me, in my experience, with someone in this place, it was the late night messages, the harassing phone calls, the harassing texts, the bombardment of digital contact, the knocks on our doors when you can't see who is on the other side," Purcell told the upper house, as reported by the Herald Sun.
Past Employment Used Against Her
Purcell expressed that she had "naively" believed she would be safe from sexual predators in parliament despite her previous work as a topless waitress and stripper during university years. However, her past was weaponised against her after she filed a formal complaint against a fellow MP.
"What did she expect? Look at how she dresses," she recalled others saying in parliament, adding that some commented, "You can't sexually harass a stripper."
The MP emphasised that no matter how high a woman rises in her career, she remains vulnerable to harassment. Having worked across various sectors including bars, legal fields, unions and communications, Purcell stated: "One thing I have learned is that men will always see us as up for grabs."
Broader Pattern of Misconduct
Purcell provided a "litany of examples" of sexual harassment since beginning her political career as a staffer. In one disturbing incident, she described bending over to retrieve something from a fridge and being told, "If you do that again I won't be responsible for what happens next."
The debate over NDA legislation has prompted multiple politicians to share their experiences with sexual misconduct. Senior minister Natalie Hutchins recently revealed she was groped by Essendon Football Club members while working as a waitress in Melbourne during the 1990s.
Meanwhile, during discussions about family violence law reforms, Nationals MP Emma Kealy shared her terrifying experience with a stalker who followed her home and to her children's school. Mildura MP Jade Benham also moved colleagues to tears by describing the fear of finding a letter from her stalker in the mailbox despite an intervention order being in place.
The proposed legislative changes would expand the definition of family violence to include stalking, systems abuse, and animal mistreatment, while also protecting young people from automatically ageing out of Family Violence Intervention Orders.
