Outrage as senior MP says she ‘feels bad for’ staffer who was sacked after filming himself in a lewd sex act on a female politician’s desk at Parliament House
- Federal MP Michelle Landry has shocked over comments about a sacked staffer
- She described him as a ‘young fellow’ and a ‘hard worker’ who ‘loved the place’
- She also said ‘I feel bad for him’ but still said the actions were ‘unacceptable’
- Kristina Keneally hit back questioning if she had ‘felt bad’ for those involved
A government minister has sparked outrage by sympathising with the staffer who was sacked for performing sex acts on a female MP’s desk.
The Liberal staffer was sacked on Monday after footage with a group of Coalition staffers was leaked and played to the world.
Assistant minister Michelle Landry described him as a ‘young fellow’ and a ‘really good worker who loved the place’.
‘I feel bad for him about this’, she said.
Assistant minister for Northern Australia and children and families Michelle Landry has said she ‘felt bad for’ the staffer who was sacked for sharing pictures of lewd acts in Parliament House
This image shared by a whistleblower shows a man sitting at a desk in Parliament House exposing himself
However, she did condemn his actions saying they were unacceptable.
‘It’s unacceptable behaviour by anyone and should not happen in workplaces like this.’
Her comments were met with outrage from other MP’s including Labor’s Kristina Keneally who asked if she felt for the other people involved.
‘How about how about feeling bad for the cleaners who had to come and clean up after that disgusting mess?’ she questioned.
‘How about feeling bad for the female MP whose desk was disrespected?’
‘I am left without words that this is the response from Michelle Landry.’
A man is pictured pointing at a female Liberal MP’s Parliamentary desk in a still from a video. He goes on to commit a lewd sexual act on the desk
Channel 10 aired a ‘whistleblower’ claiming a group of staffers would share footage of themselves committing lewd acts within Parliament House.
The shocking revelations aired by Channel 10 included sex workers being brought into parliament and employees regularly having sex in the building’s prayer room.
It has lead to a number of MP’s weighing in on the scandal.
Independent MP Zali Steggall told the ABC she struggled to comprehend the act.
‘Words nearly fail you to think of just how disgusting that is,’ she told the ABC.
‘I’m quite astounded by the psychology of this and the desire to film oneself and share.’
Minister Keneally asked Minister Landry if she felt bad for those involved in the lewd acts
Minister Landry called the sacked staffer a ‘good worker’ who ‘loved the place’
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham reiterated Minister Steggall’s statements to Sky News.
‘It’s embarrassing, it’s sickening, it’s appalling, and it’s not to be tolerated. That’s the stance we are very clearly taking,’ he told Sky News.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke at a press conference today about the issue, calling it ‘disgusting’.
‘I am shocked and I am disgusted, it is shameful.’ Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
‘I was completely stunned.’
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