Infrastructure dept's graduate program allegedly had 'hotties list'

Secretary Jim Betts said "certain male members" within the department's graduate cohort allegedly made a "degrading list" that assessed women "by their so-called hotness", after being grilled on issues of bullying and harassment by Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie.

"Does the phrase 'hotties list' mean anything to you?" Senator McKenzie asked.

Mr Betts said the department had undertaken formal investigations into the matter but was "unable to substantiate the existence of such a list."

"Which doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It just means that we were unable to substantiate it, notwithstanding the fact that we got independent external investigators to assist us in our inquiries," he said.

The department was verbally notified about rumours of the list in late March and then again in May, after which they reached out to a graduate. The department received a written complaint on May 19, Chief Operating Officer Maree Bridger said.

Graduates undertook mandatory respect at work training in April but APS values training was done at the beginning of the program.

Following allegations of the list, Mr Betts said he spoke with the women within the program to ensure they received support and sought advice from a former sex discrimination commissioner.

"We embarked on a process thereafter, including my having conversations with all of the female graduates without any males in the room to make sure that they were getting all the support that the department could provide, including from me and from my office as well as HR function," he said.

"I know that we have taken advice from the former sex discrimination commissioner, to ensure that the steps that we've taken are the appropriate ones within the bounds of procedural fairness and what the law permits us to do."

Mr Betts vowed to "adopt the severest sanctions available" if men subjected their colleagues to such behaviour. The graduate cohort is made up of 35 public servants, two thirds of whom are male.

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Mr Betts said the department would ensure graduate programs in the future were more gender balanced.

"We've learned some lessons from this, and one of those is around having gender balance at all levels and all cohorts," he said.

Asked if Infrastructure Minister Catherine King had been made aware of the situation, Mr Betts said he had not briefed her.

"It's my accountability to fix it, I'm the employer, I'm the accountable authority. And I'm not sure involving politicians was helpful," he said.

Earlier, the estimates committee heard a department employee had also allegedly been followed leaving work.

Senator McKenzie questioned whether any department staff had been followed "when they've left work in a harassing or intimidatory manner" in the past year.

Mr Betts cautioned Senator McKenzie about asking questions that could identify people who may be under investigation or potential perpetrators.

But he said the department took "any allegations of that kind extremely seriously".

"Our first course of action is to support the person making the allegation or expressing the concern, including providing pastoral care for that person and ensuring that should they wish to pursue it, for instance, with the police that they are supported in doing so," he said.

"We also need to and have taken steps to ensure that everybody in that area is reminded of their responsibilities to respect each other, to comply with the code of conduct, to show respect, especially to women, that misogynistic behaviour and sexual harassment are totally unacceptable in the workplace."

The department has also heard complaints of disrespectful behaviour, gender bias behaviour, sexist behaviour and disrespectful language.