She said Parliament needed a confidential 24-hour phone line to access an independent adviser who could provide guidance on how to deal with conduct matters.

“I think that would be very,very helpful for members,” Ms Ward told the estimates hearing.

“We have an ethics officer,it is very,very useful to have someone who you can just pick up the phone to very quickly. These things tend to not be reported between 9.00 and 5.00 on a weekday;they tend to be outside of hours.”

Ms Ward’s calls come as one of the organisers of the national marches Janine Hendry said it was “absolutely devastating” Ms Berejiklian and Ms McKay would not be attending in Sydney.

“Australian women are what this is about - us wanting to have our voices heard,” Ms Hendry said.

“In light of what’s happening,not only in Parliament but other major institutions,when our very own representatives don’t want to hear our voice,what does that say about how they really think about women? It’s saying we don’t matter,and they don’t want to hear our voices and that’s not OK.”

Protesters’ demands include full investigations of gendered violence allegations and the full implementation of 55 recommendations contained in the Sex Discrimination Commissioner’s report last year on harassment at work.

The federal Minister for Women Marise Payne will also not attend the Canberra march,telling organisers she will receive their petition “via correspondence” rather than in person.

A spokeswoman for Mrs Taylor said she had not been invited to the Sydney march,but she was “always keen to meet with women to discuss their concerns”.

with Nick Bonyhady

National Sexual Assault,Family&Domestic Violence Counselling Line:1800 737 732. Crisis support can be found at Lifeline:(13 11 14 andlifeline.org.au),the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467 andsuicidecallbackservice.org.au) and beyondblue (1300 22 4636 andbeyondblue.org.au).