Support Line now available for parliamentary staff 03/03/2021|1min
An independent and confidential 24/7 phone service is now available to parliamentary staff in accordance with an interim recommendation made by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Deputy Secretary Stephanie Foster.
Ms Foster is leading an inquiry into the complaints handling process within Parliament in the wake of Brittany Higgins rape allegations.
The phone service will be staffed by professionals who will be able to provide support or referrals to police and other specialist services.
The Parliamentary Support Line, available on 1800 274 778, is open to current and former ministerial, parliamentary and electorate office staff.
Brittany Higgins' rape allegation has rocked Australian politics - renewing prevailing concerns over the treatment of women and workplace culture of Parliament House.
Local writers looking to fine-tune their work can turn to Mesa Public Libraryâs âWriter in Residenceâ program that author and retired Arizona Science Center CEO Sheila Grinell will host through April.
Grinell, whose newfound love for creative writing comes after years spent as the Science Centerâs founding CEO, hosts free one-on-one consultations and larger workshops in partnership with the library.Â
The author of âThe Contractâ and âAppetite,â both products of a switch to fiction writing, Grinell said one benefit of starting to write later in life has been that âa lot of the things I learned in my first career appliedâ â such as self-confidence, sticking to a time budget, taking chances and knowing when to ask for help. Â
A third woman has alleged sexual assault by a former Liberal Party staffer as Brittany Higgins prepares to make a formal statement to Australian Federal Police.