'Just words', Scott Morrison, Parliament apology accepted, now survivors push for real change

For support, Chanel Contos firmly gripped Ms Higgins' other arm with her two hands.

Their faces, and those of other former staffers and survivors Rachelle Miller, Josie Coles and Chelsey Potter appeared blank behind the obligatory face masks.

They would not stay that way as they look down into the chamber to witness Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Federal Parliament publicly say sorry to all Parliament House victims of bullying, sexual harassment and assault.

As the all-male party leaders, Liberal, Nationals, Labor, Greens, lined up to apologise, acknowledge and promise to do better, it all became too much for Ms Higgins. She left being comforted. For all the women, it was clearly a lot to be back in the people's house and be acknowledged.

There were other people who wanted to come but could not make it, or did not want to publicly acknowledge what happened to them.

This was the moment:

"I am sorry. We are sorry. I am sorry to Ms Higgins for the terrible things that took place here," Mr Morrison told Parliament.

"And the place that should have been a place of safety and contribution turned out to be a nightmare."

Ms Miller says she believes the words from the Prime Minister are genuine and she feels vindicated, but wants action.

"It was a validation of what I have been saying for so long that finally it was an acknowledgement of OK, some bad stuff happened to you guys," she told The Canberra Times.

"But I honestly still don't believe that there's many men in the Liberal Party who get it. Like, I just don't think they get it."

MORE NEWS:

Action has been promised.

"Sorry is only the start," Mr Morrison pledged. "That is our promise to those who are here today and those watching across Australia. For those of us who are here now, we know we have that opportunity, and we must, and we can, and we will do better."

On this issue, he's backed by Labor leader Anthony Albanese who said: "We are committing to change."

A multi-party leadership taskforce has been formed to oversee the implementation of all 28 recommendations of the Kate Jenkins' review of the workplace culture inside Parliament House. Tuesday's statement from Parliament's presiding officers and party leaders was the first recommendation.

"Look, it's very emotional as you can imagine. This has been an incredible ordeal for so many women and men in telling their story," the independent member for Warringah Zali Steggall told The Canberra Times.

"No one can really underestimate or truly understand the anxiety and stress and the emotional impact.

"I hope for them it is a first step but for them I think there's also a need to see actions follow the words. So I think it will be very important to see the implementation of all the other recommendations."

Watching from outside the building, child sex abuse survivor and advocate Grace Tame was savage and pointed.

"How about some proactive, preventative measures and not just these performative, last-minute Band-Aid electioneering stunts?" she tweeted.

While it could be a case of there being no better time to say sorry than right now, the apology has come very close to the election in the last weeks of Parliament. It is also a year since Ms Higgins disclosed allegations of sexual assault inside a ministerial office. She and Ms Tame are addressing the National Press Club on Wednesday.

Ms Miller believes there won't be real change until there is accountability.

"The apology, while I was glad to hear it, is just words," she said. "I really won't feel confident until all of the recommendations are implemented and women can safely complain about unacceptable behaviour that happens to them in this building, and people are actually held accountable."

"So until I see that somebody has complained and a minister is held accountable then I don't think anything is gonna change until that accountability exists."

Ministers such as the Finance Minister Simon Birmingham and the Special Minister of State Ben Morton have been working intensely on the response to the Jenkins Review.

Ms Steggall, who is a member of the multi-party taskforce, says the onus will be on the Prime Minister.

"I certainly will be watching and listening to see that he has genuinely understood and learned from the evidence that was brought forward to the inquiry," she said.