Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak on this motion, and I'd like to deal with it in a couple of parts—firstly, by addressing where the women's health package is up to and where we as a nation need to be and, secondly, by reflecting on a number of conversations that I've had with very important local groups in my electorate of Monash.

It's been 12 months since the bipartisan women's health package commenced, and that's a good thing. This package received support from both major parties of government and builds on the significant work undertaken by the former coalition government to improve health outcomes for Australian women. The coalition supported this package as an expansion of the historical commitment made in government to advance women's health outcomes. Women's health has long been a priority for the coalition, and this has been demonstrated in a number of ways, particularly through the launch of the National Women's Health Strategy 2020-2030, which sought to improve long-term outcomes for women and girls. We welcomed the government's decision to build on this work with an additional 11 endometriosis clinics. Prior to the last election, the coalition committed to matching this important women's health package, including measures which would improve menopause care through the new Medicare rebate, expand health professional training and develop national clinical guidelines, as well as increase funding for endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics.

I also want to draw attention to perinatal depression and anxiety, which affects around one in five mothers, impacting nearly 100,000 parents in Australia each year. With early, evidence-informed support, outcomes can improve significantly. Yet access to care is often prohibitive for new parents, particularly around cost. In regional areas like mine, access is inhibited by barriers.

Last year, I met with Arabella Gibson from Gidget House. Gidget House plays a vital role by providing free counselling and support for parental mental health. The Monash electorate will soon be home to the second Gidget House in Victoria. This is very important because parents will be able to access up to 10 free psychological sessions each year. This service is named after Gidget, a vibrant young mother who tragically took her own life while experiencing postnatal depression which she kept to herself. One in seven women live with endometriosis, and every experience is different. Symptoms can vary widely and are often invisible, making diagnosis difficult without advanced imaging or surgery. Research from Federation University, a great regional university, shows that one in five girls aged between 10 and 16 have considered leaving sport due to period related challenges, highlighting the broader impact on participation.

I recently met with QENDO, a not-for-profit supporting those affected across Australia, and I commend the work that they've done in this area. I also want to acknowledge a number of local organisations in my electorate of Monash, particularly Gippsland Women's Health and their CEO, Kate Graham, who has done some outstanding work supporting women and young girls across these areas.

I also would like to take the opportunity to raise an issue I care deeply about, and that is coercive control and the further work that we need to do as a parliament and a nation to effect change. I am particularly inspired by Change for Sam, which has been established in honour of Sam, a Phillip Island local in my electorate of Monash. Sam was a psychologist, mother and deeply valued member of our community, who had her life taken. She was murdered by her former partner, and this organisation has been set up in her legacy. I want to acknowledge her friend Lija Matthews, who founded Change for Sam and is doing incredible work. They are pushing for practical safety through 24/7 monitored duress alarms. I would love to see this funded through a national pilot project. I want to commend Lija and all of the people involved in Change for Sam, because I know there is a family, a friendship circle and a community that is still deeply bereaved by Sam's loss. We need to do far more around coercive control in this country and the impact that it has.

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