Christmas seems a good time to bring up alcohol. Having recently moved to Manly, I am now living near the main shopping strip called the ‘Corso’. This has reintroduced me to the subject of binge drinking.

After 11 pm, from Thursday night to Saturday night, you sense the whole place is intoxicated. In the early hours the other day, I heard from my window two drunks riling each other. One yelled, ‘Where the f- are you from, mate?’

I didn’t hear the response clearly, but the questioner followed up screaming: ‘F- Parramatta. It’s a piece of shit. F- you!’ That triggered a scuffle.

The local bottle shops are busy and the pubs popular… It is a holiday place, I get it, but I suspect too much grog is consumed here.

The local Federal MP is Teal Zali Steggall and, interestingly, she serves on a committee called the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce which is introducing an alcohol policy for Federal politicians and their staff, scheduled for the first half of 2024, according to its website.

Restricting alcohol at Parliament House is a recommendation from former Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins.

The then Prime Minister Scott Morrison commissioned her in 2021 to review Commonwealth workplace cultures in the wake of Labor’s attack on the Coalition for its alleged failure to do enough to protect women against violence.

In her report, Set the Standard, Jenkins wrote extensively about alcohol in her final report. This is just a small part of what she found:

Throughout the Review, the Commission consistently heard concerns from participants about the culture of drinking and alcohol use in CPWs (Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces).

Participants shared concerns about: the availability of alcohol; the blurring effect of alcohol on personal and professional boundaries; its connection to work opportunities (and exclusion of those who avoid alcohol); and the impact of alcohol use on health and wellbeing…

The Commission also heard from participants about the way in which alcohol contributes to bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault within these workplaces…

This is consistent with the broader literature that identifies alcohol as a factor that contributes to bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault, and can reinforce gendered drivers of violence against women. It is also consistent with concerns raised in other reviews in a parliamentary context.

Jenkins’ findings about alcohol were particularly notable given the ideological position held by academics and the cultural Left against attributing alcohol as a cause of violence against women.

In their view, the violence is singularly a matter of patriarchy and gender power ‘imbalance’, so attributing alcohol a significant role erodes that narrative.

The Left won’t accept that. Yet the evidence persists.

In August of this year, the ABS estimated that 737,200 women aged over 18 years had experienced sexual assault in the last 10 years.

The ABS defines sexual assault as an: ‘…act of a sexual nature carried out against a person’s will through the use of physical force, intimidation or coercion, including any attempts to do this.’

A startling number of these women (47.2 per cent) believed that alcohol had contributed to the assault, with a further 6 per cent unsure.

In her report, Jenkins did refer to ‘gendered drivers’ of violence but, unlike academics, she was having to deal in the real world, and recommended alcohol be restricted at Parliament House.

It is common these days for large corporations to ban alcohol on work premises, and most companies ban staff from turning up drunk. Many industries such as transport, mining, and manufacturing require blue-collar workers to sign employment contracts with strict alcohol and drug prohibitions and for them to give consent to random drug tested.

But these alcohol workplace trends have not been applied to the Commonwealth Parliament, even though we’re constantly told the culture is toxic and dangerous for women.

In Jenkins’ report there were another 27 recommendations to improve the workplace. However, the one on alcohol is different in one key respect.

Restricting alcohol would erode the enjoyment of the parliamentary sitting week experience for many MPs and their staff.

Sitting weeks involve long hours, hard pressure work, yet there is also flirting, and excitement. Alcohol sort of suits it, enhancing the euphoria, in a similar way to how salt brings out the flavour in food.

It is enjoyable to attend lobbyists’ functions and receive subtle affirmation by those seeking government accommodation. It is even more enjoyable to be feted while helping yourself to finger food and free wine.

It’s fun to kick back on the leather couches in the office suites to discuss the TV news coverage of the day’s political events, with a beer or whiskey in hand.

Then there are the dinner meetings in the Canberra restaurants and bars, where factions and groups gather to talk gravely about strategy. Afterwards, you can pop back to the Hill to see what’s been happening.

Restricting alcohol would put all of this fun at risk. Will it happen?

Will Zali and the other committee members endorse Kate Jenkins’ proposed restriction of alcohol in a genuine way, or will we get the usual do nothings, e.g. ‘education’ and ‘advice’ and ‘optional’ take up?

We’ll soon know.

In the meantime, if Zali can do something to shut the mouths of the Manly drunks after midnight, that would be much appreciated.

Nick Hossack is a public policy consultant. He is former policy director at the Australian Bankers’ Association and former adviser to Prime Minister John Howard.