Brooke van Velden: Workplace Relations Minister stands by use of c-word in Parliament

ACT's Brooke van Velden is not apologising for using the c-word in the House today. 

The Workplace Relations Minister said it after a question from Labour that referenced an opinion piece in The Post that used it in relation to a group of female ministers. 

She delivered a strong rebuke - and criticised Labour for bringing it up in the House. 

She says she stands by saying it.

"I wanted to stand up for myself and stand up for all the female Cabinet ministers - that it's not okay that we have misogynistic abuse and it's not okay that it was brought into the Chamber."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah to Brook van Valden, workplace minister, who this afternoon
hit back at misogynistic attacks against her and other female ministers.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
And I do not agree with the clearly gendered and
patronizing language that Andrea Vance used to reduce senior cabinet
ministers to girl bosses, heigh squads, references to girl math and.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yep, sea word in the house after Labour's Jantinetti asked
her if she agreed with the now infamous Colin Brook
van Walden is with us? Now, Hey Brook, hey ever,
you obviously wanted to say the sea word, didn't you.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Well, look, the main point that I was trying to
raise this afternoon is, you know, Labor intentionally brought what
is a very misogynistic article to the debating chamber to
make pointed attacks at the government. And I wanted to
stand up for myself and stand up for all of
the other female cabinet ministers that it's not okay that
we have misogynistic abuse, and it's not okay that it

(00:57):
was brought into the chamber. So I thought, let's hold
up a mirror here to Labor to show exactly what
they are actually bringing to the chamber. Listen.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
I'll tell you what I found surprising in the last
few days is how quick Labor were to attack people
who had any the triol directed at just Sindaradu or
any of their side, but how silent they are on this.
And this is the worst kind of thing you can
say about a woman. Are you surprised?

Speaker 2 (01:21):
I am surprised because I would hope that we're better
than this. You know, it doesn't matter who it is
in Parliament, I would never support them having misogynistic slurs
thrown around or intentionally try to bring that into the
debating chamber. You know, for me, we should have basic
respect and decorum for every member of Parliament. And also

(01:43):
I think we have a role as leaders in our
country to set an example. And I'm really disappointed that
that doesn't go across all of Parliament. You think of
all of the young women who could have potentially been
reading that article and thinking, well, maybe I don't actually
want to stand for parliament, maybe I don't want to
be a senior woman if this is what it means.

(02:04):
And so I'm heading back and saying, look, it's not acceptable.
You know, we have strong women in our cabinet. They're
doing hard work and we shouldn't be subjected to this abuse.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
Brook, thank you very much for talking to us. Appreciated.
Brook van Valden, Workplace Relations Minister. For more from Heather
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