Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Procedure, I present the committee's report, entitled Provisions for a more family-friendly chamber, together with the minutes and proceedings of evidence received by the committee.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

by leave—I am very pleased to present the Procedure Committee's report into provisions for a more family-friendly chamber.

More than ever before, members of the House are joined in Canberra by young children in their care. Throughout the inquiry, the committee heard the particular challenges faced by members caring for infants. These include regular travel, working long hours and being a long way from their support network at home.

While the inquiry was initially focused on options for nursing mothers, particularly allowing breastfeeding in the chamber, it became clear that members of the House want to offer broader support to colleagues caring for young children.

The House has provided for mothers feeding their infant to give their vote by proxy since 2008. This is a practical measure to ensure that members unable to attend the House due to caring responsibilities can still have their vote counted.

Feedback on the proxy vote has been positive and the committee strongly supports its ongoing use. While the proxy vote is an important provision, the committee believe that we can do more to ensure that members with infants are able to fully participate in the work of the House.

Following wide consultation, the committee has formed the view that members should be allowed to bring their infants into this chamber and the Federation Chamber to breastfeed and bottle feed and at other times when under the care of a member. To implement this change the report recommends that the House amend the standing orders to simply exclude infants under the care of a member from the prohibition of visitors in the chamber and the Federation Chamber.

Feedback to the committee was that most members prefer the option of the proxy vote. However, specifically allowing for infants in the chamber offers an additional choice for members with infants in their care. Under the current rules, members have been left unsure of whether or not they could bring their infant into the chamber.

For example, the committee was told of an occasion where a member was taking her infant to child care when the division bells started ringing. She was left with no choice but to miss the division or breach standing orders.

While members can watch proceedings on television from their offices, there are often debates of national or personal significance that we wish to personally attend. The fact that a member is caring for their infant during a debate should not preclude their attendance in the chamber.

There may be some concern that allowing 'little visitors' into the House could disrupt proceedings. The committee is confident, however, that any disruption would be minimal and that members would avail themselves of this new provision with the same respect that they have shown the proxy vote.

The practices and procedures of the House should reflect changing community values. There is now an expectation in the community that workplaces support parents of young children to balance their work and family responsibilities.

Allowing members to bring their infants into the chamber when it is necessary for their care, in addition to retaining the proxy vote provisions in their current form, would make the House of Representatives the most family-friendly parliamentary chamber in Australia with regard to supporting members with young children.

By encouraging a more family-friendly environment, we remove some of the traditional barriers to the participation of women and foster a more diverse and inclusive House of Representatives.

I would like to thank all members of the committee, all members of the House of Representatives who spoke to the committee and members of the secretariat for the preparation of this report.

I commend the report to the House.

Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I rise to support the recommendations in the report on provisions for a more family-friendly chamber. I stand here today as the mother of three adult sons and a member of this parliament. Long days in Parliament House are tough on families. I have heard that since arriving here and have witnessed it myself. My observations of my younger peers, those members of parliament who are parents of young children, have led me to reflect often. I could not really imagine being a new member of parliament and a new mother.

Thanks to women such as Jenny Macklin, Tanya Plibersek and Catherine King, who paved the way, taking the risks and challenging the dominant narrative of their time, change has come to this place. The proxy vote referenced earlier demonstrates that. This inquiry into the adequacy of provisions for a more family-friendly House of Representatives was prompted, really, by the year of many births—by our own local baby boom in members' ranks in 2015, with more than 10 members having babies this year alone. Some of them include my good mate Jim Chalmers, the member for Rankin, Kate Ellis, the member for Adelaide, Amanda Rishworth, the member for Kingston, Pat Conroy, the member for Charlton, Kelly O'Dwyer, the member for Higgins, and Matt Thistlethwaite, the member for Kingsford Smith.

The inquiry has handed down a report that recommends that the parliament allow members to bring their infants into the parliament in order to have the opportunity to participate fully in the work of the House. Critically, the amendment is gender neutral. It is important that as a federal parliament we lead the way on this issue—we should be an example of the best so that every member can benefit. Modern parliament needs modern fathers and modern mothers. I am proud to see the federal parliament taking the lead by ensuring that the floor of the parliament is a family-friendly workplace. This report, and the recommendation, will do that.

As a new mum or dad and as an MP, it will make a significant difference to be able to take an infant into the chamber. If it is late at night or if there is important legislation being debated that directly relates to the member's community and the member has no other option at the time, it makes sense for that member to be able to bring their infant into the chamber. The recommended change to standing orders reflects modern community expectations. It should not matter if it is John or Betty holding the baby; they should be able to be present in the House when required.

The inquiry heard from members who had recently become parents. One particularly compelling story was from the member for Hotham, Clare O'Neil, about her first few months in the parliament back in 2013, when she arrived not just as a new member but also as a new mother. The existing proxy arrangements served Clare well in most instances, in that she could miss a division when her child could not be left, but they did not suit her at all times, and I can only reflect on the demands on new parents or parents of young children and the demands of this place. This recommendation gives members another option—to bring their infant into the parliament. Last month, when this issue arose, the member for Hotham tweeted that, as a mother and an MP, it would make a huge difference for her to be able take her baby into the chamber. I, with other members, was shocked by the lack of understanding from some that subsequently ensued. One comment stands out. The tweet read: 'Politicians get paid enough for child care. Get on with the job.' This reflects a clear lack of understanding of the work of the parliament and of members.

This recommendation shows family-friendly leadership that supports members and ensures that being a modern parent does not preclude or deter parents from running for parliament and representing their communities. The hours that people work here are long. On any morning, arriving before 7 am, I can pass members with their infants also arriving and see members and infants across the day and well into the night. Child care may be an option at some stages and for some parts of the day, but not from 7 am to 11 pm or later.

Every family of young children understands how difficult it can be to travel with children, and this is no less difficult for parliamentarians. Although in the recommendations of this report we are making a change that will assist parliamentarians, there is more that we can do as a parliament about the practical support needed for members and children—things like the provision of cars with appropriate child seats and restraints. This is a small, practical thing, but it can be an extraordinary burden for young parents. Provisions to allow members to have a second adult travel with them to support them in childcare arrangements was also something that the committee heard about during the inquiry but is not within its remit. There is more we can do, but this is a great start.

I would like to thank the members of the Standing Committee on Procedure, many of whom are grandparents and have raised their children while being members of this place. Their understanding and their experience means that they have lived with the difficulties and the demands that we are talking about. It was a pleasure to be involved in a process that was not controversial where we all worked together for the betterment of parents. I thank all those who made submissions and spoke to the committee, and I commend the committee and the recommendations of this report.

Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the member for Boothby wish to move a motion in connection with the report to enable it to be debated on a future occasion?

Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lalor for her great contribution. I move:

That the House take note of the report.

Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In accordance with standing order 39(c), the debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.