Senior public service officials found out about an alleged "hotties list" which ranked female staff on their sex appeal, months after a formal complaint was lodged.
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A Senate estimates hearing on Monday was told of allegations men from a 36-strong graduate program at the infrastructure department had produced a list which ranked junior female public servants by attractiveness.
While a formal complaint was made to the department in May about the list, senior officials within the Australian Public Service Commission were first told about it "a few weeks ago".
Australian Public Service commissioner Gordon de Brouwer told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday he did not know when he first made aware, but acting deputy commissioner Jo Talbot said she found out about the list "fairly recently".
"I then did advise the commissioner about the concerns that had been raised, to bring that to his attention," she told the hearing.
"(The list is) clearly behaviour that is not acceptable and don't align with our Australian Public Service values, or indeed any expectations that anyone would have of how to act in the workplace."
Ms Talbot said she was not aware of similar incidents in other departments.
Infrastructure department secretary Jim Betts said on Monday while an independent investigation was not able to substantiate its existence, it did not mean it did not exist.
No one has been fired over the list, but Mr Betts said the officials had talked to the graduates about expectations and requirements, making necessary adjustments to ensure their safety was prioritised.
The new intake was brought on board in February and had received training on the Australian Public Service Service value system before a session on respect at work in April.
Dr de Brouwer told Tuesday's hearing the alleged list was "despicable".
Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher said the allegations raised issues about the graduate program.
She also had concerns with the gender mix of some of the graduate cohorts in public sector departments.
The cohort at the infrastructure department was two-thirds male.
"An intake of 67 per cent men just is not acceptable in this day and age," she said.
The department will disclose more information about harassment and bullying complaints as part of a whole-of-government process on November 29.
Australian Associated Press
