Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher

SYLVIA JEFFREYS, HOST: I'm joined now by Minister for Women and Finance Katy Gallagher. Minister, thank you for your time during what has been a truly distressing week for every member of Parliament. Firstly, how did you react to that update yesterday from Phil Haines?

KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR WOMEN: Well, I think the whole nation was waiting and watching and sending love to Helen over the last few days. Yeah, it's been very hard to describe actually how everyone's been feeling. Everyone's deeply affected. Everybody loves Helen, can't believe that the attack actually happened. And, of course, now, knowing that she's got a significant recovery process ahead of her. But I thought her husband did her proud. What a wonderful advocate for Helen, and was full of love, just like she is.

JEFFREYS: You're right. It is very hard to find the words this week to describe the magnitude and the gravity of the events that we've seen unfold. Several MPs, though, this morning have declared that this will change politics forever in Australia. Have the events of this week already changed the way that you operate in public?

GALLAGHER: Look, I think whilst, you know, we're having a lot more public discussion about safety and workplace safety, in a sense, I think many of the issues that we've been talking about have been a factor of our working life for some time now. So, it's something that we think about; it's something that we're affected by. But I think that's true of a lot of professions, like retail workers, healthcare workers, teachers, you know, the kind of breakdown and in some of those issues that Sam Mostyn was talking about, just trying to recover a bit of decency about a bit of disagreeing. Well, I think across the workplaces across Australia would be really good, but I think for politicians, we factor that in, we take advice, and it is changing the nature of how we work, I think, over time. Definitely.

JEFFREYS: Criticism is normal when you, you know, you're in public office. But what's become really stark, very clear this week, is that there has been a normalisation of violent threats and abuse against members of Parliament and, in particular, women. Have you personally had to report any attacks or threats made against you to security agencies?

GALLAGHER: Yeah, I have. And I think whilst men and women get it in politics, I think the nature of the threats and the violence towards women or threats of violence towards women are different. They're often sexualised. It's about you know, rape, sexual assault, physical harm that they want to do to you or your children. So, I think the nature of the threats towards women are different. And, you know, I can't pretend that women across the Parliament aren't concerned about this. They are, but many of them and all of that I've spoken to are quite defiant about it, too. I mean, we've found our place at the table in politics. We now need to make sure that it's safe and that people are supported to do their job well. But we think about all of those workers right across the country who face threats of violence in their workplace. It's just not acceptable. And perhaps if something good does come out of this, it's this conversation and people thinking about it before they post a message on Facebook.

JEFFREYS: Yeah. I mean, the problem is we all seem to be at a loss this week in terms of how we make it stop, how we make the threats and the abuse and the vitriol end. Until then, until that time arrives, what would you as the Minister for Women, say to a young woman who this morning is reconsidering a career in public life, in politics?

GALLAGHER: Well, I would say there are a lot of reasons to get into public life and for public service. It's a very honourable profession, and it's important that people put their hand up to do it. And I would also say that the system needs to respond and make sure that your workplace is safe. And I would say this to a woman who is entering any profession, and it's up to women like me who've been around for a while to make sure that that happens.

JEFFREYS: Minister Katy Gallagher during a very difficult week, we appreciate your time this morning. Thanks for joining us.