A government backbencher has tried to downplay fresh allegations of sexual assault made by two Liberal party staffers as a "bit of a beat-up".
Two women who worked for senior Liberal politicians have gone public with allegations of sexual assault within state and federal politics, blasting the party's culture and complaints process.
Nationals MP David Gillespie was asked on Wednesday whether the Coalition government was a welcoming place for women.
"It's a bit confected, the coalition is a very welcoming place for women in general.
"In the National Party we just had three women elected and, similarly in the Liberal Party, there are plenty of incredibly talented women who are representing Senate positions and House of Representatives.
Senior Liberal Michaelia Cash denied her party has a problem with women.
"These are serious allegations and I would say to the parties concerned that they should be referred to the appropriate authorities," Senator Cash told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.
However, Liberal Party veteran Kathryn Greiner said telling the women to go to the police was "simply another way of shutting people up".
Ms Greiner, who has been with the party for 50 years, said cultural change started at the top.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says skilled migration is needed to support the government $100 billion infrastructure roll out. Source: AAP
"If we want to bring transformative and conclusive change into the Liberal Party, which we clearly need to do, then it starts with the PM," she told ABC Radio National.
"This is about systemic reform within the Liberal Party, of which the prime minister and the premier of our state (Gladys Berejiklian) are both leaders.
"Both of them have a responsibility to get in here and make cultural and systemic change."
One woman who worked for a federal minister has told Nine News another parliamentary staffer assaulted her in Canberra in 2015.
A former staffer to the NSW Speaker alleged a fellow Liberal Party member forced himself on her.
Federal government minister Richard Colbeck said the alleged behaviour did not belong in any workplace.
"I urge those who made those claims to contact police," he told reporters.
"If they wanted to make a claim through the parliamentary process there's a capacity for them to do that without names being released, so they can do that through the system.
NSW Nationals Senator Perin Davey described the allegations as deeply disturbing.
"I would encourage anyone with such allegations to take them to the police and have them thoroughly investigated," Senator Davey told reporters.
Source AAP - SBS
