Infrastructure dept changed grad training after alleged 'hotties list'

The so-called "hotties list" was revealed last October, when Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie grilled Infrastructure secretary Jim Betts on the matter.

Mr Betts revealed "certain male members" within the department's graduate cohort allegedly made a "degrading list" that assessed women "by their so-called hotness", but added the agency had not been able to substantiate the list through a formal investigation.

The department has since upgraded training for its junior public servants, First Assistant Secretary Rachel Houghton told Senator McKenzie in Senate estimates on Monday morning.

"The training program has been updated to reinforce the expected and respectful behaviours, as well as what we call accidental counsellor training," she said.

"It includes training such as respectful workplace program training, delivered by Diversity Australia during induction, words at work training, delivered by the Diversity Council Australia, also in their induction program.

"A presentation from the agency security adviser at induction, cultural appreciation training, disability confident training, unconscious bias training and development of a team charter of acceptable behaviours during induction."

The training is offered in the first few weeks of the year-long graduate program, and the majority of the sessions are new for the 2024 cohort.

"When they first arrive, we'll provide them with quite an intensive amount of training, really to help them understand what it's like to work in government, and what our requirements are - the expected behaviours," Ms Houghton told Senator McKenzie.

The Minister for Infrastructure, Catherine King, has been briefed on the steps taken to address the alleged harassment, Mr Betts said.

Officials also told Senator McKenzie that all 36 graduates in the 2023 cohort had continued on in the department.