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Marisa Paterson described it as a “massive deal”. She knew that making public allegations of sexual harassment, stalking and bullying against a world-renowned professor would have far-reaching implications for her professionally and personally. But as the ANU academic weighed up the potential consequences of telling her story, she found comfort in a simple, strongly held belief. She knew that she had done nothing wrong. Paterson found comfort, too, when she contemplated how her young children might judge their mother’s actions. “A lot of people were very concerned about me being named [in a story], and the impact that it would have on my kids and family,” Paterson said. “I sort of felt like my kids would be proud of me. “At the end of the day they would see their mum standing up for herself, and that was more important.” READ MORE: Paterson did tell her story. She did use her name. The reports in NZ-based publication Stuff did set off a chain reaction, resulting in the resignation of the alleged perpetrator and a high-level review of sexual harassment at one of NZ’s leading universities. The Labor parliamentarian described her ordeal, including how the process which followed her initial complaint “failed me and failed everybody”, in an emotional first speech to the ACT Legislative Assembly in early December. Paterson spoke of how, after 37 years, she had finally learnt how to stand up for herself. She was now ready to “stand up and fight” for her Murrumbidgee community, an electorate which extends from the Woden Valley to Weston Creek. It’s a message she reiterated when she spoke to The Canberra Times as part of its series profiling the eight new members of the ACT Legislative Assembly. “I think it has made me believe in myself more,” she said. A career academic, Paterson has not, like many in the ACT Labor party room, climbed into politics from the ranks of the union movement or via an MP or MLAs office. Her field of expertise, gambling harm, has at times been a vexed issue for her new colleagues, who’ve been caught between calls for stronger, faster action and concerns about the future of pokies-reliant clubs. So will the political outsider be willing to speak up – and out? “Absolutely,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll struggle at all [on the topic of gambling harm],” she said. “I hope that I’ll make a contribution to that discussion, and that’s part of the reason for me wanting to run [for election].” Raised in Victoria, Paterson moved to Canberra in 2005 to complete her masters in anthropology, the study of human behaviour. Forever fascinated in “why people do what they do”, she developed a particular interest in mental health and addiction. She won a scholarship to complete a PhD on the impact of gambling on remote Aboriginal communities, which took her to the town of Maningrida in the very northern tip of Australia. Her stint coincided with the Howard government’s controversial Northern Territory “intervention” in 2007, when the army was deployed to take control of remote communities in response to a report detailing widespread child abuse and family violence. In her inaugural speech, she described that experience as a “pivotal moment” in her life,. “I witnessed first hand what it actually looks like when ‘government’ has unprecedented powers and powers directed to target a specific racial group,” she told the chamber. “It enshrined in me an understanding of the systemic level of racism and ongoing colonisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture in Australia.” Paterson moved back to Canberra to complete her studies, settling down in Weston Creek. She was appointed director of the ANU Centre for Gambling Research, a role which saw her lead the territory’s annual survey on poker machine use. It was a desire to make a contribution to the community which ultimately drove the mother-of-three to run for political office. Paterson picked mental health as an issue she’d like to pursue in the next four years in the ACT Legislative Assembly, arguing that while the ACT was progressive in many policy areas it could do more in that space. Spurred by her own traumatic experience, she also wants to advocate action on sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace. At the centre of her case was a power imbalance. She was starting her career. He was a global expert. Power imbalances don’t just exist at universities, Paterson said. They exist in hospitals. They exist in parliaments. “I do think there is far more work to be done,” she said.
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Marisa Paterson described it as a “massive deal”.
But as the ANU academic weighed up the potential consequences of telling her story, she found comfort in a simple, strongly held belief.
She knew that she had done nothing wrong.
Paterson found comfort, too, when she contemplated how her young children might judge their mother’s actions.
“A lot of people were very concerned about me being named [in a story], and the impact that it would have on my kids and family,” Paterson said.
“I sort of felt like my kids would be proud of me.
“At the end of the day they would see their mum standing up for herself, and that was more important.”
Paterson did tell her story. She did use her name. The reports in NZ-based publication Stuff did set off a chain reaction, resulting in the resignation of the alleged perpetrator and a high-level review of sexual harassment at one of NZ’s leading universities.
The Labor parliamentarian described her ordeal, including how the process which followed her initial complaint “failed me and failed everybody”, in an emotional first speech to the ACT Legislative Assembly in early December.
Marisa Paterson speaking to the media after Labor’s election win on October 17 Picture: Matt Loxton
Paterson spoke of how, after 37 years, she had finally learnt how to stand up for herself. She was now ready to “stand up and fight” for her Murrumbidgee community, an electorate which extends from the Woden Valley to Weston Creek.
It’s a message she reiterated when she spoke to The Canberra Times as part of its series profiling the eight new members of the ACT Legislative Assembly.
“I think it has made me believe in myself more,” she said.
A career academic, Paterson has not, like many in the ACT Labor party room, climbed into politics from the ranks of the union movement or via an MP or MLAs office.
Her field of expertise, gambling harm, has at times been a vexed issue for her new colleagues, who’ve been caught between calls for stronger, faster action and concerns about the future of pokies-reliant clubs.
So will the political outsider be willing to speak up – and out?
“I don’t think I’ll struggle at all [on the topic of gambling harm],” she said. “I hope that I’ll make a contribution to that discussion, and that’s part of the reason for me wanting to run [for election].”
Raised in Victoria, Paterson moved to Canberra in 2005 to complete her masters in anthropology, the study of human behaviour. Forever fascinated in “why people do what they do”, she developed a particular interest in mental health and addiction.
She won a scholarship to complete a PhD on the impact of gambling on remote Aboriginal communities, which took her to the town of Maningrida in the very northern tip of Australia.
In her inaugural speech, she described that experience as a “pivotal moment” in her life,.
“I witnessed first hand what it actually looks like when ‘government’ has unprecedented powers and powers directed to target a specific racial group,” she told the chamber.
“It enshrined in me an understanding of the systemic level of racism and ongoing colonisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture in Australia.”
Marisa Paterson was one of five new MLAs elected to the Legislative Assembly on October 17. Picture: Matt Loxton.
Paterson moved back to Canberra to complete her studies, settling down in Weston Creek. She was appointed director of the ANU Centre for Gambling Research, a role which saw her lead the territory’s annual survey on poker machine use.
It was a desire to make a contribution to the community which ultimately drove the mother-of-three to run for political office.
Paterson picked mental health as an issue she’d like to pursue in the next four years in the ACT Legislative Assembly, arguing that while the ACT was progressive in many policy areas it could do more in that space.
Spurred by her own traumatic experience, she also wants to advocate action on sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace.
At the centre of her case was a power imbalance. She was starting her career. He was a global expert.
Power imbalances don’t just exist at universities, Paterson said. They exist in hospitals. They exist in parliaments.
“I do think there is far more work to be done,” she said.
