Tasmanian politicians from all sides of politics have come together to back urgent reforms to the state’s midwifery and maternal health services.
The show of unity followed emotional speeches in Parliament, where MPs shared deeply personal stories of pregnancy and infant loss.
The motion was introduced by Independent MP Rebekah Pentland, who tragically lost her baby Emmett just days before Christmas last year.
“I never expected to stand in parliament and speak about my own loss, but I knew I had to,” Pentland said.
“No mother should feel alone in grief and no midwife should be left without the resources they need to provide the best possible care.”
The motion calls for more staff, better conditions for midwives and stronger support for families dealing with loss.
Minister Madeleine Ogilvie shared that she too had experienced the loss of a child.
“Coming into this place and telling your story is really hard and hard to do,” she said. “And I haven’t been as brave as you and I’ve never told my whole story.”
“My daughter, Violet, lived for seven days. The most profound week of my life.”
“And I very much felt as I was going through that and my family was going through that, that you make a choice. And you make a choice to get up and go forward. And I feel that’s what you’ve done here.”
The debate saw cross-party collaboration, with Shadow Health Minister Ella Haddad, who chairs the Committee into Reproductive, Maternal and Paediatric Health, acknowledging Health Minister Jacquie Petrusma’s commitment to the issue.
Haddad said her committee is finalising a report with “strong recommendations”, based on “profound and really meaningful evidence” from midwives, families and advocacy groups.
“Personal experiences can be a real catalyst in politics,” Haddad said.
The motion highlights growing pressure on the midwifery workforce, citing “chronic understaffing, excessive workloads and inadequate resources”.
It notes that many midwives are juggling “unsustainable caseloads” and will see maternal health become a “political priority in 2025”.
