Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on a more serious matter. As someone who has suffered the devastation of a stillbirth, I understand that parents who experience this tragedy need support to recover. Thirty-seven years after my baby Timothy was a victim of this national health crisis, I'm shocked by the snail's pace of progress in giving parents of stillborn babies the support they need. There is still a lack of understanding about what parents of stillborn babies go through. Losing a child through stillbirth is just as painful as losing a child who survived the birth. With the proper support, parents can make progress in recovering from the immediate emotional trauma, but the grief of losing their baby will always stay with them. While Australia has been slow to acknowledge the reality of this national health crisis, there is progress nonetheless, and tonight I would like to share some good news with the Senate.

On Monday the Commonwealth Bank announced that they would increase paid parental leave entitlements for parents of stillborn babies to bring leave entitlements in line with those for parents with a live birth. Primary carers working for the bank who experience the tragedy of a stillbirth will be entitled to 12 weeks of paid leave and secondary carers will receive four weeks of paid leave. The Commonwealth Bank's decision demonstrates their understanding that parents of stillborn babies are still parents, and they are entitled to paid leave to fulfil their duties as a parent. After the shock of the loss of their baby, parents must make decisions for a funeral, probably an autopsy, and a burial or cremation—all while still grieving. Just like a mother of a live birth, a mother of a baby who is stillborn still needs time to recover physically from the birth. All parents who go through this tragic experience need time to grieve the loss of their baby. The Commonwealth Bank joins several other large employers who have recognised the long-term social and economic benefits of paid parental leave for parents of stillborn babies. These employers include Australia Post, Bendigo Bank, Bunnings, Deloitte, KPMG, National Australia Bank, Optus, PwC and Woolworths. There are also a number of others, and you can find a full list on the Stillbirth Foundation's website: stillbirthfoundation.org.au.

The corporate sector is leading the way and it's past time for the government to catch up. According to the Stillbirth Foundation, there are an estimated more than half a million Australian workers covered by these leave entitlements, but there are millions more who are not covered. The government must adopt the recommendations of the stillbirth Senate inquiry and make changes to the Fair Work Act and the National Employment Standards to provide consistency across all employers and employees in Australia. While Labor welcomed the government's announcement in February that they would extend unpaid leave for parents with a stillborn baby to 12 months, the government have yet to implement this change, six months later. Every day six babies are born still in Australia. In six months, that's over 1,000 families whose lives have changed forever. Once again, the government are big on announcements but fall short of delivery.

I also continue to call on the government to make bereavement payments equal for parents with a stillbirth. It makes no sense that parents whose baby's heart beats once after birth receive this payment, while those whose baby is born without a heartbeat don't. I might point out, once again, that parents with a second or subsequent stillbirth only receive half the amount of the stillborn baby payment they receive for their first. Let me tell you, Mr Acting Deputy President Fawcett, the funerals don't get any cheaper. The Stillbirth Foundation estimates the total cost of these two changes, to the bereavement payment and stillborn baby payment, to be about $2.5 million a year. This is a small price to pay to ensure that parents of stillborn babies receive the financial support they need and deserve to help rebuild their lives.

I'd like to quickly thank my Labor colleagues, in particular Senators Keneally and McCarthy, for their work with me on the stillbirth Senate inquiry and for their ongoing advocacy on this issue. I'd also like to thank our shadow minister for health, Mr Bowen, and Leigh Brezler and her team from the Stillbirth Foundation. The Stillbirth Foundation is a 100 per cent community funded organisation which keeps on kicking goals for stillbirth research and lobbying efforts on behalf of the thousands of families who have suffered the trauma of stillbirth. But the government needs to take some action. As I said, every day in Australia, six babies are stillborn. The government announced this program six months ago but hasn't done anything—over 1,000 families' lives changed forever.