Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This parliamentary term, I've taken on the role of government co-chair of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Population and Development, a responsibility I've embraced with pride and purpose. For me, this is more than a friendship group; it's a platform for parliamentarians to come together across party lines and tackle issues that impact people's lives in Australia and across our region.

What some members might not know is that parliamentary groups on population and development exist in many countries worldwide. The United Nations Population Fund has estimated that almost 100 countries have, at some point, had a national group or committee dedicated to population related issues, underscoring the global importance of this work. These groups play a vital role in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, and sustainable development. Their origins trace back to the landmark International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994, which was a turning point that shifted global development from demographic targets to a people centred approach, putting women's health, rights and equality at the heart of progress.

In a world where these rights are increasingly under pressure, our work matters more than ever—what a year to take on this role. This year, we celebrated our 30th anniversary, a milestone that reminds us how far we've come and how much more there is to do. We've been very busy. We held our first meeting in July, where we heard from Dr Lucas de Toca, former ambassador for global health. He spoke about the progress that has been made and highlighted the challenges we still face. We heard how Australia's development approach is grounded in four key priorities: First Nations partnerships, gender equality, disability inclusion and climate action. These aren't add-ons; they are embedded in every investment we make.

The Pacific faces some tough sexual and reproductive health rights challenges, shaped by both traditional health burdens and conservative social norms, yet the region continues to innovate, such as adapting comprehensive sexuality education into culturally grounded family life education. We heard that Fiji's HIV epidemic has surged with over 1,600 cases last year alone. Australia is working very closely with the Fijian government and the broader Pacific to develop tailored responsive interventions that can help prevent wider regional spread. We've heard there's real progress. In South-East Asia, skilled birth attendance is up, contraceptive use has more than doubled since 2010 and maternal mortality has dropped. Australia is sharing its expertise—like our world first cervical cancer elimination program, an invention of the Speaker's home state of Queensland—to help others replicate success.

We've also been encouraged in the group to engage more deeply with parliamentarian champions and women MPs in the Pacific and South-East Asian region. Their leadership and regional insight are essential to advancing the cause of sexual and reproductive health rights. Strengthening these connections through dialogue, collaboration and shared advocacy will help to build resilient, inclusive systems that reflect the needs and values of local communities. This will require coordinated whole-of-society action.

There have been many different events that we have held so far this year. We've heard from people speaking about their experiences as PALM workers and the challenges that they faced in accessing health care in Australia. We've also heard about solutions to address these challenges, like the Health in My Language program, which delivers in-language education to migrant and refugee women. The work that we've been doing is a reminder that, when we invest in culturally safe services, we empower people to make an informed choice and live with dignity.

We've had many briefings with experts. I also had the great honour of addressing the 30th anniversary event with former leaders like Margaret Reynolds, Claire Moore and Sharman Stone, who spoke with warmth about the group's rich history.

There is so much more work to do, but I'm really confident that we can work across different party lines across the parliament, across this place and the other place, to ensure that we're making a real difference to the lives of many people in our country and, indeed, in our region.

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