Senate Select Committee on Women's Health — hearing of 5 November 2026: transcript & video · Polyfact

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Senate Select Committee on Women's Health

4 November 2026

Contents updated on 5 Nov 2026

Opening, conduct and thematic examination of issues relating to women’s health by the Senate Select Committee.

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Senate Select Committee on Women's Health — Public hearing

16:27

Opening statements

16:27

Senator Marielle Smith, Chair — opening statement and procedural remarks

16:27

Senator Marielle Smith, Chair — clarification of committee role and handling of sensitive evidence

18:59

Adelaide breastfeeding clinics panel — Evidence on postnatal care and breastfeeding support

20:34

Opening statements and introductions of Adelaide breastfeeding clinics panel

20:34

Senator Marielle Smith, Chair — welcome of Adelaide breastfeeding clinics panel and request for introductions

20:34

Dr Bryony Andrew — introduction and role

21:04

Dr Amy Smith — introduction and role

21:17

Dr Julia Chan — introduction and roles

21:28

Trena Moore — introduction and role

21:49

Senator Marielle Smith, Chair — invitation for opening statement

22:03

Dr Bryony Andrew — opening statement on antenatal preparation and early postnatal services

22:23

Dr Amy Smith — opening statement on funding, research and integrated care

25:22

Dr Julia Chan — opening statement on clinician education and access to breastfeeding support

29:22

Trena Moore — opening statement on perinatal mental health, social media and community supports

32:03

Breastfeeding, maternal mental health, Medicare funding and access to care

34:40

Question of Senator Marielle Smith on links between breastfeeding challenges and parental mental health

34:40

Question of Senator Marielle Smith on Medicare items for combined mother–baby postnatal appointments

37:03

Question of Senator Marielle Smith on multidisciplinary postnatal care hubs

39:16

Question of Senator Marielle Smith on continuity of GP and midwifery care models

41:09

Question of Senator Marielle Smith on how women find out about breastfeeding clinics

43:26

Question of Senator Marielle Smith on telehealth and hybrid postpartum care models

45:23

Question of Senator Barbara Pocock on socio-economic barriers to accessing postnatal support

46:31

Question of Senator Barbara Pocock on impacts of rationed care for mothers and children

48:00

Question of Senator Barbara Pocock on sustainability of the breastfeeding clinic business model

49:17

Question of Senator Barbara Pocock on barriers to a national after-hours virtual breastfeeding service

51:11

Question of Senator Fatima Payman on improving postnatal anxiety screening

53:15

Question of Senator Fatima Payman on recognition, training and funding for lactation medicine

56:02

Question of Senator Jana Stewart on socio-economic and cultural profile of clinic users

59:26

Adelaide Midwives and Embrace Midwifery Services panel

01:04:42

Opening statements and introductions of Adelaide Midwives and Embrace Midwifery Services panel

01:04:42

Chair Marielle Smith — Opening of panel with Adelaide Midwives and Embrace Midwifery Services

01:04:42

Introductions of Adelaide Midwives and Embrace Midwifery Services representatives

01:05:10

Opening statement of Nikita Gardner (Embrace Midwifery Services)

01:05:56

Tamara Millard (Embrace Midwifery) — Client feedback on postpartum continuity of care

01:08:27

Cassie Stitchall (Embrace Midwifery) — Systemic barriers and recommendations for private midwifery

01:11:29

Joy Bourne (Embrace Midwifery) — Call for system support for continuity models

01:16:08

Sue McFarlane (Adelaide Midwives) — Experience with credentialed private midwifery and continuity of care

01:16:54

Models of maternity care and access to private midwifery in South Australia

01:24:43

Questions of Senator Marielle Smith on available maternity care models and how women access information about their options

01:24:43

Questions of Senator Marielle Smith on antenatal education and preparing women for the postpartum period

01:29:05

Questions of Senator Marielle Smith on improving equity and access to continuity midwifery care

01:33:02

Questions of Senator Fatima Payman on indemnity insurance barriers and Commonwealth action

01:36:39

Questions of Senator Fatima Payman on proportion of endorsed midwives and barriers to endorsement

01:40:04

Questions of Senator Barbara Pocock on insurance, 5,000-hour rules and hospital credentialing

01:41:53

Village Co, Villagehood Australia and Peach Tree Perinatal Wellness panel

01:59:41

Resumption of hearing and introduction of Village Co, Villagehood Australia and Peach Tree panel

01:59:41

Opening statements of Village Co, Villagehood Australia and Peach Tree panel

02:00:44

Stephanie Milan (The Village Co) — Opening statement on practical support and systemic gaps

02:00:44

Dina Tomasic (Doula Hub Australia in collaboration with Peach Tree) — Opening statement on holding and hearing mothers

02:06:16

Vivianne Kissane (Peach Tree Perinatal Wellness) — Opening statement on relational safety, continuity and peer models

02:09:48

Lived experience expertise and relational perinatal support models

02:13:41

Questions of Senator Marielle Smith on lived experience versus lived expertise in policy-making

02:13:41

Questions of Senator Marielle Smith on relational continuity as a missing piece in postpartum care

02:15:14

Questions of Senator Marielle Smith on the "missing middle" in perinatal mental health support

02:18:31

Questions of Senator Marielle Smith on support after stillbirth and infant loss

02:19:51

Questions of Senator Marielle Smith on peer support for women facing language and access barriers

02:22:20

Questions of Senator Fatima Payman on measuring unmet need and supporting women facing family and domestic violence

02:24:28

Questions of Senator Barbara Pocock on cost barriers to postpartum feeding and sleep support

02:26:46

Questions of Senator Barbara Pocock on rising demand, cost-of-living pressures and psychosocial complexity

02:28:54

Lived experience panel — Personal testimonies from mothers on pregnancy, birth and postpartum care

02:37:03

Personal statements of lived experience witnesses

02:37:03

Chair’s opening guidance for lived experience panel and witness introductions

02:37:03

Alexandra — Statement on lack of post-caesarean follow-up and ongoing postpartum support needs

02:40:17

Megan — Statement on maternal loneliness and Mum Walk peer-led walking groups

02:43:29

Jess — Statement on creating Seacliff and Brighton Mum Walk for ongoing connection

02:47:20

Rachel — Statement on maternity care accessibility for women with disability

02:50:59

Holly — Positive experience of publicly funded Midwifery Group Practice and postpartum continuity of care

02:57:15

Melissa — Private midwifery, birth trauma, and inequitable access to postpartum supports

03:02:42

Lauren Novak — Maternal anger ("mum rage") as a hidden postpartum issue

03:08:28

Chair — Thanks to in‑person witnesses and introduction of teleconference witnesses

03:12:24

Crystal — Postpartum episiotomy infection, feeling unheard, and call for post‑six‑week women’s health hubs

03:13:18

Chair (Marielle Smith) — Thanks to Crystal and invitation to Hilary

03:18:22

Hilary — Pregnancy loss, C‑section care, weight stigma and expensive breastfeeding support; call for evidence‑based continuity of care

03:18:31

Robinson Research Institute, CEIH, Perinatal Statewide Clinical Network and Dr Pillay panel

04:28:22

Opening statements of Robinson Research Institute, CEIH, Perinatal Network and Dr Pillay panel

04:28:22

Chair (Marielle Smith) — Introduction of research and clinical panel and witness identifications

04:28:22

Professor Michael Stark (Robinson Research Institute) — Need for continuity of reproductive and perinatal care and long-term evidence

04:30:11

Dr Belinda Maier (Perinatal Statewide Clinical Network, CEIH) — Year‑long postnatal pathways, equity and accountability

04:35:17

Dr Samantha Pillay — Urinary incontinence as a neglected national women’s health priority

04:41:00

Postpartum continence, data and integrated care pathways

04:45:09

Question from Chair (Marielle Smith) on AI bias and connecting women with expert continence care

04:45:09

Question from Chair on research and data priorities for postpartum continence care

04:48:02

Question from Chair on stigma, help‑seeking and proactive continence screening

04:49:51

Chair invites further panel input on continence pathways and digital tools

04:53:53

Question from Chair on continence screening in private and Catholic hospitals

04:56:05

Unidentified witness — Linked data between pregnancy and later health outcomes

04:56:48

Question from Chair on designing integrated and equitable postpartum care pathways

04:57:31

Question from Chair (Marielle Smith) on research priorities and data needs for postpartum care

04:59:56

Question from Chair on ensuring screening leads to effective follow-up and care pathways

05:04:27

Question from Chair on dedicated support pathways for fathers and partners, and links to family violence

05:09:31

Question from Senator Pocock on funding models to support continuity of care

05:13:47

Question from Senator Pocock on monitoring safety of medical devices

05:21:25

Question from Senator Payman on long-term safety monitoring in assisted reproduction

05:23:18

Question from Senator Payman on continence training standards for health professionals

05:25:21

Question from Senator Whiteaker on models and timing of continuity of care, including rural and regional challenges

05:30:24

Conclusion of Robinson Research Institute, CEIH, Perinatal Network and Dr Pillay panel and questions on notice

05:36:26

Australian Alliance of Perinatal and Infant Mental Health panel

05:39:40

Resumption of hearing and introductions of Australian Alliance of Perinatal and Infant Mental Health panel

05:39:40

Opening statements of Australian Alliance of Perinatal and Infant Mental Health panel

05:42:22

Nicole Highet (Alliance Policy and Advocacy Committee) — Opening statement on Australia’s perinatal mental health system and priority gaps

05:42:22

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Senate Select Committee on Women's Health

4 November 2026

Senate Select Committee on Women's Health Thu, 5 Nov 2026 Parliament of Australia

Follow its sittings

16:26 - 18:06

Speaker 1

Good morning everybody. We're good to go? I declare open this public hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Women's Health. I begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet today, the Gadigal people, and pay my respects to their elders past and present. And I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here today.

The committee will be conducting today's hearing in person from Sydney and via teleconference. My name is Senator Marielle Smith. I'm the chair of the committee and I'm joined today by Senators Barbara Pocock, Senator Stewart, Senator Ruston who is online, and we're also expecting Senator Whitten, Senator Belyea and Senator Payman. These are public proceedings being streamed live via the Parliament's website, and a Hansard transcript is being made. I remind all witnesses presenting that in giving evidence to the committee they are protected by parliamentary privilege.

It is unlawful for anyone to threaten or disadvantage a witness on account of evidence given to a committee, and such action may be treated by the Senate as a contempt. It is also a contempt to give false or misleading evidence.

The committee prefers evidence to be given in public, but under the Senate's resolutions, witnesses have the right to request to be heard in confidence, which we describe as being heard in camera. If you are a witness today and you intend to request to give evidence in camera, please bring this to the attention of the secretariat, so Claudia or Fatima, as soon as possible. If a witness objects to answering a question, the witness should state the ground upon which the objection is taken, and the committee will determine whether it will insist on an answer, having regard to the ground which is claimed. If the committee determines to insist on an answer, a witness may request that the answer be given in camera. Such a request may, of course, also be made at any other time.

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