Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share 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.

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