Debbie Francis revealing details of her 2019 report which delivered a scathing view of what it was like to work in Parliament. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
The lawyer behind a damning inquiry into Parliament's culture has reported back on progress made in the workplace.
The 2019 Debbie Francis review delivered a scathing view of what it is like to work at Parliament, including allegations of sexual assault.
Francis was asked by Parliament's Speaker in October 2022 to find out if there was less bullying and harassment in the precinct since her inquiry.
Reporting back on Friday, the lawyer said the environment of the parliamentary workplace has "improved significantly".
"Leaders, Parties, agencies and staff are more alert to the need for respectful and constructive workplace relationships, more vigilant as to inappropriate conduct and more mindful of the link between demonstrated behaviours and the health of our democracy."
She does caution improvements have largely been delivered as workarounds and ad hoc initiatives.
"They have sometimes papered over a fundamentally antiquated and under-resourced operating model for people management in the parliamentary workplace.
"This means that some of the work has addressed symptoms rather than root causes. This has created pockets of excellent practice, but these tend to be the result of individual Party and agency initiatives."
Francis said new pressures had emerged since the last review, noting an increase in threatening behaviours towards politicians from a segment of the public.
She suggested a "reimagining" of the parliamentary workplace model, including its employment and funding arrangements, despite acknowledging there was currently no appetite for it.
The lawyer said she took comfort in the fact that, even under the current system, parties and agencies were now better placed to contribute to a health working environment.
Speaker of the House Adrian Rurawhe said the improvements made since the Debbie Francis review had been achieved by the collaborative efforts of everyone working at Parliament.
"Together, we have made great strides in our commitments to improve workplace culture. It is a journey that we will continue to move forward with," he said.
Rurawhe said most of the 80 recommendations made in the initial inquiry, including appointing an Independent Commissioner and establishing confidential complaint channels, had been completed.
Francis' latest review will be considered by the Parliamentary Service Commission next month.
"We expect that the guidance and the opportunities represented in the report steer us to deliver even greater progress in our journey to strengthen the parliamentary culture," Rurawhe said.
