Archive for the ‘Campaign Actions’ Category

Michelle Meares, Amy Bell, Sally-Anne Brown and Rebecca Jenkinson are standing in the seats of Robertson, Macquarie, Corangamite and Dickson respectively. These seats are ultra marginal and these women are united by a common passion to improve maternity care for Australian women rather than seeing health services dominated by the self interest of the Australian Medical Association (AMA).

Maternity reform was the first cab of the rank in Rudd’s health reform plan. Nicola Roxon announced funding midwives through Medicare for the first time. “This legislation had the capacity to greatly improve care for women across the country and was initially well received.” says Rebecca Jenkinson, teacher, mother of 2 children and independent candidate for Dickson.

Teaser for the upcoming documentary on homebirth in Australia - Face Of Birth

FOLLOWING the Government’s backwards changes to national midwifery regulations, thousands of Australian women are voicing their concern.

Collectively, thousands of voices have culminated in four women running as independent candidates in critical marginal seats in an attempt to talk to Australia’s law makers.?

In May 2009 the Government announced long-awaited reforms to Australia’s maternity care system, to give women better “choice and access” in their maternity care:
- Medicare rebates for women receiving care from expert midwives
- A solution to midwives’ professional indemnity insurance problems
- Boosted funding for rural maternity services
- $120.5 million new funding
These reforms promised to greatly improve women’s control, choices, continuity of care and access to community-based care, in the most significant reform yet to the Medicare system.

After months of suspense, the Determination defining “collaborative arrangements” was quietly signed into law by the Governor General on 16 July, without notification to stakeholders. The Determination can be downloaded from this link.

The Determination provides 4 options for collaborative arrangements. Each option requires the midwife to have some form of permission from a doctor, before a woman can receive Medicare rebates.

About 150 protesters rallied outside Sydney Federal MP Tanya Plibersek’s Surry Hills office to oppose changes to Federal Government home birth legislation.

The My Body, My Baby, My Right to Decide rally, at the Minister for the Status of Women’s office, was one of 14 to take place across Australia on Thursday last week.

Women unhappy with the federal Government’s Medicare for Midwives Bill protested last Thursday outside the offices of local member Tanya Plibersek, saying the Bill would drive midwifery underground. About 150 turned up with nearly as many children in tow.

About 150 protesters rallied outside Sydney Federal MP Tanya Plibersek’s Surry Hills office to oppose Federal Government legislation to ban home births.

The My Body, My Baby, My Right to Decide rally, at the Minister for the Status of Women’s office, was one of 14 to take place across Australia on Thursday last week.

A group of mothers, daughters and quite a few babies gathered outside Member for Macquarie Bob Debus’ electorate office in Katoomba on February 18 in a show of solidarity for home birthing.

After intense lobbying from the Australian Medical Association, Health Minister Nicola Roxon has given the green light to Doctors having the final say in the choices women make during pregnancy and birth. Women choosing a midwife at hospital or at home will have their basic rights to informed consent and refusal removed, replaced with medical veto.