Kimberley Kitching allegations, grants put pressure on the ALP

Kimberley Kitching's death, which initially produced a rare moment of bipartisan sympathy and support, has exposed deep divisions within a federal ALP that has tried hard to present a united front. It has also raised questions about an alleged culture of bullying and intimidation with the party.

One of Labor's strongest weapons against the LNP - claims it has a "woman problem", and that the Brittany Higgins allegations exposed a culture in which the welfare of individuals took second place to the good of the party - has been seriously blunted.

Credible allegations made by friends of Senator Kitching, that she had told a workplace trainer engaged as part of the response to the Higgins allegations that she was being bullied, cannot be ignored.

It has been alleged this bullying - said to have included leaving her out of meetings, "disengaging" her from parliamentary Labor Party business, giving her late-night shifts in the Senate, and dumping her from the Labor tactics committee - involved three of the party's most high-profile senators: Kristina Kenneally, Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong. They have denied the claims.

It has also been alleged Senator Kitching had raised the issue of her treatment with the deputy Labor leader Richard Marles, apparently to no avail.

If the claims are true, it would appear the feisty right-wing Labor senator has been shown more respect by some of her colleagues in death than in life.

While nobody is suggesting the bullying allegations, or the claims Senator Kitching was going to lose her spot on the ALP Senate ticket, had anything to do with her sudden death, they do raise serious concerns about the culture within the federal parliamentary ALP, and whether or not MPs and senators are provided with a "safe and respectful workplace".

Given the ALP, including some of the people who have been named in relation to the allegations, has attempted to hold the LNP to a very high standard on these issues, the questions are not going to go away.

The refusal by both Mr Albanese and Mr Marles to answer questions on the grounds that "this is not the time" doesn't stack up. If not now, then when?

Their response is a loud echo of the way the PM has dealt with similar issues in the past.

The ALP, which has tried to grab the moral high ground by calling the Prime Minister a liar and a hypocrite, and by focusing on widespread rorting ahead of the 2019 election, now faces questions about its own values and trustworthiness.

It, like the LNP before it, has also been promising significant spending in key marginal electorates in the event it wins government in May.

When called out on this by the government and the media, senior party figures defended the promises, saying they would be subject to independent departmental scrutiny and review; a line that sounds hauntingly familiar.

Voters, contrary to what some of their representatives may think, are not fools. Labor is either committed to its promises, or it is attempting to leave some wiggle room post-election.

Labor's position has not been helped by the fact oil prices have begun to trend down, and the economy is going from strength to strength with unemployment now at a 40-year low.

The closer we get to election day, the harder it is going to be for Mr Albanese and his team to convince voters they are more credible and trustworthy than their opponents.

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