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The boss of the construction company that brought topless and scantily-clad women onto the site of Canberra's tallest residential building on Friday has issued an apology for the "inappropriate entertainment", which has been condemned by Labor MPs. The explicit entertainment on Geocon's Wayfarer apartments site in Belconnen came just four days after the company announced a three-year sponsorship deal with the ACT Meteors women's cricket team. It was confirmed on Saturday that Geocon has also sought advice from former chief of Army and Australian of the Year David Morrison on how to overhaul workplace culture. Geocon managing director Nick Georgalis said in a statement on Saturday morning the "topping out" event should have been a happy occasion where every worker could celebrate the end of construction of the highest point of the Wayfarer building. "There was inappropriate entertainment at this event and I apologise unreservedly," he said. "Clearly on this occasion we failed to properly consider how these celebrations might not be acceptable, or meet community standards more generally. "It is certainly not reflective of the company's wider culture." Women clad in G-string underwear serving beer at the work party, which began about 3pm, could be clearly seen from the street opposite the construction site, which is adjacent to a Lutheran church and less than one block from a school. ACT Minister for Women Yvette Berry tweeted that she was speechless after learning of the women's presence, and had spoken to the company after emailing them on Saturday morning to request a meeting. "This is terrible, shocking," she said. "I've since had a conversation with Geocon, and they are very disappointed at what has occurred on their worksite, and they are very, very happy to work with me and with organisations I'll get in touch with next week." Ms Berry said she was surprised by the presence of the women at the site, as she had attended Monday's announcement by Abode Hotels, a subsidiary of Geocon, that it would be providing accommodation for the ACT Meteors' interstate players for Canberra games. "I know that they want to be a progressive organisation and be respectful to women and girls in the ACT; this certainly doesn't send that message," she said. She said there were a number of feminist organisations in the ACT who offered a range of courses about gender equity and which could support Geocon and its employees. "It's a real David Morrison moment," she said. "Somebody had the courage to shine the light on that, and to make it public, and that gives us the chance to make the change." Mr Morrison famously championed gender quality in the defence force and told soldiers "the standard you walk past is the standard you accept". Ms Berry had earlier tweeted that she was invited along to Geocon's "topping out" event, but later clarified that she was invited to a company event next week, not the Friday workers' party. She said she would "probably not" be attending that event. "Not because of this issue, but because I'm not good with heights," she said. Canberra MP Gai Brodtmann said she would be raising the issue when federal Parliament returned this week. "I will be speaking about this in Parliament because it is completely unacceptable in 2016 and I understand the workforce was not consulted, they were simply told," she said. "Imagine how the women on that worksite felt, especially when this event was meant to be celebrating their achievement." A spokeswoman for the National Association of Women in Construction ACT said it was "unbelievable" an organisation allowed this on a worksite in 2016. "You see an article like that and you feel like you have taken 10 steps backward," she said. "It's a matter of respect for both men and women but particularly for women who are working on the site who just want to be seen as getting on with the job, it is just unconscionable." The spokeswoman said she was not aware of any similar event on a Canberra construction site this century. The association would be happy to assist the company with education on diversity, she said. Mr Georgalis said there were no safety issues arising from Friday's event, with the work site shut down 30 minutes before it began. "All invited guests had been inducted onto the site previously or were signed in as per normal site procedures," he said. He said he would cooperate with WorkSafe, which will be investigating the matter early next week.

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