Rachelle Miller has released the details of her $650,000 settlement with the Commonwealth, after she alleged abuse by her former boss and then-government minister Alan Tudge.
Ms Miller claimed she was subject to bullying, harassment and discrimination while working for Mr Tudge and for former government minister Michaelia Cash.
The Commonwealth has paid Ms Miller $300,000 for hurt, distress, humiliation, dislocation of life, loss of professional standing and personal dignity, $28,000 as reimbursement for past medical and like expenses, and another $62,000 for future medical expenses, as well as $110,000 in respect of loss of past and future earning capacity.
It has paid another $150,000 for Ms Miller's legal costs.
Both Mr Tudge and Senator Cash were named in the settlement, although it noted the $650,000 payment was not an admission of liability nor of fault by the Commonwealth.
Ms Miller has written to federal politicians, urging them to implement the full recommendations of an inquiry into workplace standards in the parliament, after being in the rare position of being able to disclose the details of her settlement:
"One of the key observations in the report is the importance of transparency throughout the complaint resolution process," Ms Miller wrote.
"Taxpayers have a right to know about the outcomes of complaints made against elected officials, particularly if a settlement was paid.
"Unfortunately, had my story not gained the attention of the public through the media, I suspect an NDA would have been insisted upon by the Commonwealth."
In a statement, Senator Cash's office rejected Ms Miller's allegations.
"Senator Cash strenuously rejects claims of any adverse treatment of Ms Miller and strongly disputes Ms Miller’s version of events. At the time of her employment, between late 2017 and mid-2018, Senator Cash and her office understood Ms Miller’s personal circumstances, which is why support, leave and flexible work arrangements were offered to her," a spokesman for Senator Cash said.
"The settlement is a matter for the Department of Finance."
Mr Tudge has previously denied the allegations, saying he "completely and utterly rejects Ms Miller's version of events".
The ABC has contacted Mr Tudge for comment.
Ms Miller made allegations — against her former boss Mr Tudge — of being emotionally and, on one occasion, physically abusive to her while they were involved in a consensual affair in 2017.
She first raised the complaints with the Commonwealth in November 2020, but made them public late last year, when intense scrutiny was already on the work culture of parliament.
In a letter to parliamentarians, she wrote that former sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins's report on parliamentary workplaces demonstrated "unacceptably high" levels of sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying:
"I also note the people who were responsible remain in parliament and have not been held accountable for their behaviour — no other workplace would accept this as satisfactory in 2022," Ms Miller wrote.
"Short of informing every constituent in their electorates, or public exposure through the media, there is no other way a parliamentarian can be sanctioned for unacceptable workplace behaviour (unless they are convicted of a criminal offence).
"Their staff know it, and this immense power imbalance deters most from making a complaint."
Speaking to ABC Radio, Ms Miller was scathing of the party she used to work for, saying she did not believe it had changed.
"I believe they firmly have got their heads in the sand," Ms Miller said.
"And, in fact, nobody from the Liberal Party has ever reached out to me to speak about my experiences or ask about them. Nobody.
"At his present moment, I don't think people would feel confident using that [complaints] system."
Ms Miller said "many, many" women had contacted her since she made her allegations public to say they had had similar experiences while working in parliamentary offices.
Ms Jenkins found that one in three people working in federal parliament had experienced some kind of sexual harassment there.
She recommended that parliament implement a code of conduct, targets for gender balance among MPs and staff, as well as new alcohol policies to restrict its consumption in work settings.
