Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Chair of the Select Committee on Stillbirth Research and Education, I present the report on the future of stillbirth research and education in Australia, together with the Hansard record of proceedings and documents presented to the committee, and move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

Bajinda yamalu yinda, ngara Yanyuwa li-anthawirriyarra. I would like to acknowledge the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, and acknowledge this is an incredibly historic day for the Australian parliament. I have with me at the pleasure of The President and The Deputy President a coolamon, which, in First Nations People's way, is important for our babies. It is also important for other parts of First Nations culture—that is, for food gathering, for water, for life giving. I have the symbol of this symbol of the coolamon with me today to acknowledge especially the parents and families who are here in the Senate to witness this historic occasion, but also to say thank you to each and every one of you and all those listening and watching across Australia who couldn't be here but are here in spirit, just like your children are with us, your babies. In my language we call it li-ardabirri or bardada and the spirit of your bardada is here with us in the Senate, in the Australian parliament. It is so significant what you have done in sharing your personal stories and journey with us, the committee, and with Australia. We are going to change and make a difference across this country, and I thank you from my heart to yours for being so open, and for your babies, who are with us too.

I also want to thank and acknowledge the members of this committee: deputy chair Senator Jim Molan, Senator Janet Rice, Senator Catryna Bilyk, Senator Lucy Gichuhi and most especially Senator Kristina Keneally, whose advocacy and passionate perseverance in guiding and directing our parliament to this point has been so important. We decided from the outset that this had to be a sacred journey, carrying our babies, remembering and honouring the spirits who have passed but also the spirits of our babies who are yet to come. There had be to a sacredness to this journey, and I thank each and every Senate committee member for holding that, for holding those babies and holding the sacredness of this important report to the Australian parliament.

Stillbirths affect over 2,000 Australian families each year, and, for women from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, the rate is double that of other Australian women. Despite advances in medical care and treatment, the rate of stillbirth in Australia has not declined over the past 20 years, and too many of those stillbirths are deemed to be unexplained. This is not acceptable. There is a culture of silence around stillbirth. It is a hidden tragedy, with personal, social and financial consequences. It needs to be regarded as a public health issue, with economic as well as social costs on a community level. And, of course, the cost on a very personal level is not quantifiable.

Our report highlights that stillbirth will directly and indirectly cost the economy $681 million between 2016 and 2020. It examines the risk factors which relate not only to individual, maternal health factors but also to issues such as geographical location and race. Around 33 per cent of all stillbirths in Australia happen to women who live in regional and remote areas of our country. According to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data, the further away women are from a major city, the higher the rate of stillbirth. And, as I've said, the rate for First Nations women is double that. There are higher stillbirth rates amongst culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia, so our women from non-English-speaking backgrounds suffer a great deal in silence.

There is a clear need to improve the cultural protocols around dealing with families who have suffered stillbirth. The committee heard very disturbing evidence about six stillborn babies of Indigenous descent who remained in the morgue at the Katherine Hospital for a number of years—six years, in some cases. Evidence was presented in relation to the difficulty of contacting families who lived in very remote communities and the lack of resources available for locating and working with bereaved families, and it was noted that there may also be financial issues.

Another key issue raised by witnesses and submitters in relation to employment matters concerned leave entitlements for parents who experienced a stillbirth. We heard evidence from women who had been made redundant while recovering from a stillbirth. A key recommendation of this committee was that section 77A of the Fair Work Act 2009 and provisions relating to stillbirth in the National Employment Standards be reviewed and amended to ensure that provisions for stillbirth and miscarriage are clear and consistent across all employers and that legislative entitlements to paid parental leave are unambiguous in recognising and providing support for employees who have experienced stillbirth. This report calls for a national stillbirth action plan that aims to reduce the rate of stillbirth over the next three years by 20 per cent.

I'd also like to acknowledge the work of Sophie Dunstone and her team in the secretariat.

This inquiry was certainly the most difficult that I've been on, both in my time in the federal parliament and in the Northern Territory parliament, because we are carrying deeply the very real stories that impact Australians in this country. You know what, Madam Deputy President? We can make a difference with this report. Our parliament can make a difference, and this country can make a difference for all Australian families. I commend the report to the parliament.