Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank the member for Werriwa for this motion today. It's incredibly important to acknowledge International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, which was last Friday 15 October. It's a day to recognise bereaved parents, families and friends—because, let's be clear, it does actually affect a whole community—and to remember the babies they have lost through miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death. It's also a day to acknowledge those wonderful healthcare workers who provide support and wrap services around parents in their time of need.

It is likely we all know someone who has been affected by pregnancy and infant loss, but we may not even know that they were affected. It is all too often a private grief. Even though Australia is one of the safest countries in the world for a baby to be born, still more than 2,000 babies are stillborn each year. Thousands of families suffer with the terrible experience of miscarriage every year. I myself had a miscarriage between my third and fourth child, so I also know of the grief that people suffer.

Sadly, three out of every 1,000 babies born in Australia every year die within the first month of their lives. For those families and parents who have suffered infant loss either in pregnancy or around birth the physical and psychological damage is traumatic and incredibly painful. As a doctor, I heard stories from women who have remained traumatised for decades following the callous way in which these issues were handled a generation ago. I'm pleased to say that this is no longer the case to the same extent, and a significant improvement in the way these issues are handled has really helped to prevent the deep and ongoing emotional effects brought on by the tragedies. Still, too often they can be overlooked and underestimated, and that's partly because of the privacy of the grief around these issues. The trauma of these events can trigger depression, anxiety, relationship breakdowns and even post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Morrison government understands the significant impact that pregnancy and infant loss has on families, and that's why it is working in partnership with states and territories and a whole range of important organisations. It has also made a significant commitment of funding to this important area. Last year the Morrison government announced the National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan. This plan invests $152 million in perinatal services and support measures to improve health outcomes for babies and mothers. It includes $21 million in measures to reduce stillbirth and support families affected by stillbirth. Measures include education and awareness programs, the development of a new clinical care standard and the support of research so that we can always do better. This investment aims to reduce stillbirth rates in Australia by more than 20 per cent by the end of 2025.

The government recognises that preterm birth is a major cause of stillbirth and infant loss, and it is providing $13 million to implement the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance to reduce the rate of preterm birth nationally. The government is also investing $43.9 million in the Perinatal Mental Health and Wellbeing Program, providing support for families experiencing grief following the death of a child, including as a result of stillbirth. To ensure intensive support is available to families experiencing stillbirth, the government is also investing in Red Nose to deliver the Hospital to Home program and has announced an additional $400,000 to ensure the program continues for an additional six months. We all know that sometimes it's hard to leave home when you're dealing with grief and bereavement, so it's wonderful to hear that these outreach services are going into the home to support families in their time of need.

I was proud to be part of this government and to speak in support of the Fair Work Amendment (Improving Unpaid Parental Leave for Parents of Stillborn Babies and Other Measures) Bill last year. This bill amended the unpaid parental leave provisions and complemented the government funded paid parental leave pay changes. It provided parents with the same unpaid parental leave entitlements they would have had if their baby had survived, and this has really helped parents who are grieving, because this grief can be so private. It's a time that enables people to be with their family, their friends and their support system. It's a time not only to grieve but also to arrange funerals, to be together with those who love you and whom you love. In my first speech I said the words 'widow' and 'orphan' describe loss in our language but no words exists for a parent who has lost a child. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could eliminate the devastation of infant loss? I commend this motion to the House.

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