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Liz Hobday

Ex-discrimination chief heads arts workplace council

Kate Jenkins will chair a council formed to help improve workplace standards in the arts industry. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

The woman whose landmark report led to an overhaul of Canberra's parliamentary culture will take the helm of a new body to protect arts workers.

Kate Jenkins will chair the Creative Workplaces Council, set up under the national cultural policy to improve workplace standards in the arts industry.

Jenkins is a former Sex Discrimination Commissioner and author of the 2020 Respect@Work report, which looked at the impact of pervasive sexual harassment in Australian workplaces.

She said she was honoured to take up the new role.

"The establishment of Creative Workplaces is a practical and proactive way to ensure our Australian artists and arts workers enjoy fair, safe and respectful workplaces," she said.

All arts organisations seeking federal government funding will be expected to adhere to minimum workplace safety and employment standards.

The council was set up after another report, Raising Their Voices, found sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination was also rife in Australia's music industry.

Six others have been appointed to the council: filmmaker Tony Ayres, production designer Fiona Donovan, musician Ruth Hazleton, Michel Hryce from the Michael Cassel Group, DarkLab's Tina Lavranos and actor/director Bjorn Stewart.

The Respect@Work report led to a statutory duty by employers to provide workplace environments free from sexual harassment.

Jenkins also led the review into workplace culture for parliamentary staff in 2021 which led to the implementation of behavioural codes of conduct.

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