Author Archives: catrynabilyk

International Women’s Day

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International Women’s Day has prompted me to reflect not just on how far women have come but how certain attitudes are still holding us back from achieving equality.

About nine months ago I responded in Parliament to this contribution by Liberal Senator Gerrard Rennick, who said that parents with pre-school-aged children should just stay home and described subsidised early childhood education and care as “the hand of government teaching in and taking away our children’s youth.”

No senior Liberal has condemned the comments, and when I wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, inviting him to deny that the comments do not reflect his government’s view, he declined to do so.

Women’s equality cannot advance unless we continue to challenge outdated views like these.

International Women’s Day has prompted me to reflect not just on how far women have come but how certain attitudes are…

Posted by Senator Catryna Bilyk on Sunday, 7 March 2021

Charity Fundraising Law

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The Senate has just passed my motion calling on the Morrison Government to stop dragging their feet and to get on with the job of fixing charity fundraising law.

Each year that goes by without the harmonisation of Australian fundraising laws it costs charities and not-for-profits $15 million to comply with a myriad of state and territory laws and registration schemes. That’s $15 million, generously given by Australians to feed and shelter the homeless, to help people recover from natural disasters, to protect the environment and to promote animal welfare going down the drain.

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Six Still Lives Campaign

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Today is the launch of the Still Six Lives campaign.

This campaign is aimed at raising awareness of stillbirth, reducing the stigma associated with it, and arming parents with the knowledge they need to take measures to reduce the risk.

Sadly, Australia’s rate of stillbirth has remained at around six per day for the past 20 years. Still, Six Lives is part of a 10-year national action plan aimed at turning this around.

Helping deliver the campaign is the Australian Government, Stillbirth Foundation Australia, Red Nose Australia, Sands Australia and the Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth.

Please support this campaign by sharing this video and other Still Six Lives materials available at http://preventstillbirth.org.au.