Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the House of Representatives on December 3 in Canberra.DAVID GRAY
The disclosure of videos of employees of the Conservative Government of Australia performing sexual acts in Parliament, including one of a high-level adviser - fired on Tuesday - who masturbated in the office of a deputy, has placed the Prime Minister's Administration, Scott Morrison, faced with a new scandal.
In recent weeks, the leader of the coalition government between Liberals and Nationalists was already under pressure for his handling of allegations of rape of Brittany Higgins, an employee of the Liberal Party.
Higgins said she was raped by a colleague in the office of the Senator and Defense Minister, Linda Reynolds, two years ago.
Morrison has called the recent videos "outrageous" and "totally embarrassing."
The Minister of Women, Marise Payne, has affirmed that the revelations go "beyond disappointment" and has highlighted the need to carry out a government investigation of the work environment in Parliament.
The videos and photos were first aired in
The Australian
newspaper
and Channel 10 television channel on Monday night.
According to the person who leaked them, a former Parliament employee identified only as Tom, the images had previously been shared on an IM group of Coalition Government employees.
Tom has also told the media that employees and MPs used to use the Parliament chapel to have sex and bring prostitutes for the "pleasure of the coalition MPs."
In this sense, he has described "a culture of men who think they can do whatever they want" and has branded some of his colleagues "morally bankrupt."
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The government, after announcing the dismissal of the adviser involved, has promised to take further measures.
Morrison has tried to defend her policies to promote gender equality, but has admitted great dissatisfaction with her government.
“I recognize that many Australians, mainly women, believe that I have not listened to them and that distresses me a lot.
We have to do better, ”the prime minister told reporters in Canberra, the country's capital.
However, he made few concrete proposals and guaranteed that the changes will be announced in the coming weeks.
The allegations of rape of Higgins sparked various demonstrations across the country.
Tens of thousands of women joined the protests to call out against sexual violence and gender inequality, calling for a structural change in Australian politics and society in general.
Morrison has come under fire for his handling of the crisis and for declining to meet with protesters last week.
Later, he invited the leaders of the demonstrations to meet him in Parliament, but they rejected the offer, justifying that they would not meet him "behind closed doors."
