Coalition MPs slammed for abortion claim on changes to include stillbirths in paid parental leave Bill
Health Secretary Mark Butler said it was “deeply cynical policy” for coalition MPs to claim women who have late-term abortions could be covered by proposed regulations on paid maternity leave.
The Baby Priya Bill, called Priya’s Law, is a proposed amendment to the Fair Work Act that would ensure that parents suffering from stillbirth or neonatal death can access paid parental leave.
It is named after a newborn baby who died at 42 days old and whose mother said she could no longer take maternity leave.
While the bill is specific about what conditions it covers, some Coalition MPs on Wednesday said they feared women could carry a child to term just to have an abortion and get permission; This was also a claim made about the Stillborn Baby Payment.
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie was among those concerned about “unintended consequences”.
“It’s no secret that I oppose late-term abortions,” Mr. Hastie told the House of Representatives, saying he wanted to “endorse the purpose of this bill, which is to provide certainty to families suffering through the loss of a child.”
“And I absolutely support the cause of that, and I think it’s a noble and good thing, and that’s why Baby Priya’s Bill deserves our support,” he said.
“But I call on the government and underline the sensitivity on this issue, but I request the government to clarify that this does not apply to late-term abortions.”
Liberal MPs Henry Pike and Tony Pasin, as well as National Party backbencher Barnaby Joyce, also expressed concerns.
Mr. Pasin said paid parental leave “should be available to people who want to be parents but for the grace of God are unable to become parents because of that event or outcome.”
“But this shouldn’t be offered to people who don’t want to be parents,” he said.
Asked about his remarks on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Butler said it was “pretty sad”.
“The definitions here are very clear,” he told the ABC.
“Stillbirth is the loss of a fetus or baby as a result of a natural, spontaneous event.
“Miscarriage before 20 weeks, stillbirth after 20 weeks.
“Medical termination or surgical termination, as the name suggests, is something very different.”
“I think it’s a very cynical, deeply sad political practice to try to conflate the two things,” he said.
“The men doing this are all men, they know the difference between stillbirth and abortion,” Mr Butler said.
He said he did not hear “a woman from the coalition coming into the room and having these discussions.”
“These are all guys on the right wing of the Liberal and National Party and I say to them: Enough, stop already,” Mr Butler said.
Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Amanda Rishworth also criticized Coalition MPs who she said were trying to “take over” the coalition.
“The loss of a child is devastating,” he said in a statement.
“It has a profound and long-lasting impact on parents, families and communities.
“These are incredibly difficult conditions for workers and employers to overcome.
“This bill would provide greater clarity on employer-funded paid parental leave for parents dealing with the tragedy of a stillbirth or the death of a child.”
Ms Rishworth said this only applied “where it is unclear what will happen to the employee’s leave if a child is stillborn or dies after birth”.
“We are deeply disappointed that a very small minority is trying to hijack this bill and pretend it is something it is not,” he said.
“The aim of this bill is to give bereaved parents certainty during the most difficult time of their lives. It is a critical piece of legislation that must have the support of Parliament.”
