Parents facing the tragedy of stillbirth or the death of their baby will now be able to mourn their loss with “dignity” under changes that will stop employers from cancelling paid parental leave.
Five days after the death of her six-week-old daughter Priya, the heartbroken mother notified her employer of 11 years.
But her anguish was worsened when her workplace cancelled three months of pre-approved paid parental leave.
In contrast, her spouse was permitted to utilize his entire leave allocation.
They successfully launched a campaign to overturn the “unfair” rules, garnering more than 32,000 signatures for baby Priya’s petition.
Priya’s parents joined Workplace Minister Amanda Rishworth at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday to mark changes to the Fair Work Act.
Legislation ensures that paid parental leave cannot be revoked by employers in the tragic event of a stillbirth or the loss of an infant.
“Priya’s proposal embodies love, compassion, dignity, and respect,” she expressed, her voice wavering with emotion, tears pooling in her eyes, and her hands unsteady.
Priya’s mum, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her daughter’s life had set the precedent for how parents should be treated.
“Our community and society must embrace compassion,” she asserted.
“It is a symbol of my love for my daughter, Priya, in moments when I was made to feel like my daughter’s life didn’t matter.
“Baby Priya’s bill honours my daughter, and it also honours every baby who has passed, and sadly, every baby who will pass in Australia.”
Rishworth said she hoped the changes would give parents rights in this circumstance while bringing “out of the shadows” a conversation about stillbirth and early death.
In the upper chamber, efforts by Liberal Senator Alex Antic, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation to curtail benefits in cases involving late-term terminations were unsuccessful.
Attempts to limit entitlements for late-term abortions
A small group within the coalition argued the bill should be written to exclude parents who experienced late-term pregnancy terminations.
In the upper house, Liberal Senator Alex Antic, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan, and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation unsuccessfully attempted to limit entitlements where late-term terminations applied.
Several Coalition senators voted in favour of the bid.
Priya’s father labelled the debate surrounding late-term abortion in the context of the changes as “politics of hate”.
“It was hurtful to my wife, it’s disrespectful to our daughter,” he said.
“I think about the politics of hope and human decency, and I think we need more of that in the Australian parliament.”
Rishworth said the bill is about giving parents “the dignity in the event of a stillbirth or early death of a child”.
“I’m disappointed that some senators tried to make it something that this is not,” she said.
Six babies are stillborn every day and two die within 28 days of birth in Australia, according to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data.
