Having only just returned to work following Alia’s birth a few weeks ago, Waters tweeted a photo of herself breastfeeding Alia, saying we need to see more babies in Parliament House.
What’s been particularly encouraging is the reaction the tweet had. This wasn’t one for the trolls or those with an agenda against the Greens, at least not where I’ve seen the photo shared across social media (there will always be some). Rather it’s had a positive reaction, notes of ‘congratulations’ and ‘thank you’ and ‘it’s about time’.
So proud that my daughter Alia is the first baby to be breastfed in the federal Parliament! We need more #women & parents in Parli #auspol pic.twitter.com/w34nxWxG0y
— Larissa Waters (@larissawaters) May 9, 2017
So why has it taken this long to see such a pic?
In 2003, Victorian Labor MP Kirstie Marshall was asked to leave the state parliament because she was breastfeeding her 11 day old baby. At the time she was criticised for the move, and she claimed she didn’t know it wasn’t allowed. There was a time and place for breastfeeding a newborn and question time was, apparently, not it (try explaining that to a baby).
In 2015, there were calls to encourage women to breastfeed in Parliament, after a female government minister was told to “express more milk” by Chief Whip Scott Buchholz. He didn’t appear aware that a proxy vote was allowed for nursing MPs, meaning they didn’t need to physically be in the chamber. Kelly O’Dwyer later said the “issue was resolved”.
In 2016, Parliamentary rules were changed enabling female MPs to breastfeed in the Chamber, given children had previously been banned from entering during divisions.
And of course just a few weeks ago, O’Dwyer, now on leave with her second child, became the subject of a challenge for her own seat.
Waters said on her Facebook page that she hopes the image sends a message.
“We need more women and parents in Parliament.”
“And we need more family-friendly and flexible workplaces, and affordable child care, for everyone.”
Women who run small businesses often tell me about their experiences taking a newborn into the office: breastfeeding during meetings with clients, handing the baby around to different staff members, and setting up a cot or small nursery for the child in the office.
For many such women, it’s not a choice but rather a necessity. Short of taking a few days off post birth, they can’t leave their businesses for a significant period of time. There is no maternity leave cover, and so they take their life to their business.
It’s a similar story in the Federal Parliament. Such a career will see you spending a significant part of your year away from home, and large chunks of time in the chamber. New mothers might be able to take a few weeks out, but anything longer would be a serious challenge: especially given the fact you’re elected for a specific term.
The Parliament must be family-friendly for members. It should set an example to other workplaces, and ensure it’s as accessible as possible for women no matter what their circumstances.