Australian MPs, judges and civil servants no longer exempt from Sex Discrimination Laws

Prime minister Scott Morrison said recent events had highlighted “the significance” of sexual harassment at work

Moves comes following a number of sex scandals, including alleged rape in Australia’s parliament building (AP)

Australia is planning an overhaul of its sex discrimination laws with politicians, judges and civil servants no longer exempt from harrasssment rules at work.

Conservative prime minister Scott Morrison announced the move on Thursday in response to the release of a report last month on sex discrimination in the workplace.

The Respect@Work paper made a series of recommendations to the government, which come in the wake of a number of sex scandals to hit Australian politics in recent months, including the alleged rape of a staff member in parliament buildings.

Under current rules MPs, judges and those working in the civil service are not governed by anti-harassment rules that apply to other workplace places, although they can still be prosecuted for sexual assault.

Although the Respect@Work report did not recommend the Sex Discrimination Act be amended to include MPs, judges and civil servants, it made 55 other suggestions designed to stamp out sexual misconduct in work, most of which the prime minister has accepted in full, in part or in principle.

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Mr Morrison said "there is no doubt" that the events of recent months had reinforced "the significance" of sexual harassment at work and "highlighted it once again".

In February, a former government staff member came forward to tell her account of being attack by a male colleague in Australia's parliament building. Brittany Higgins, 26, said she was raped after a night out drinking with colleagues.

In March, Australian attorney general Christian Porter was accused of rape, allegations he strongly denies. Other parliament staff were criticised for sharing lewd pictures while at work.

Mr Morrison said the problem of harassment in the workplace was a culture that needed to be changed "right across society".

“We will be stepping up to our responsibilities but we all, each and every one of us individually, have a responsibility for our own behaviours and our own actions and what we can positively do to ensure that we can change the culture of behaviour,” he added.