The ACT Parliament is one of just three Chambers of Parliament to specifically allow breastfeeding, it emerged this week, after Liberal backbencher Giulia Jones made history by becoming the first politician to breastfeed in the ACT Chamber.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The other two are the upper house in NSW and the federal Senate.
Other parliaments, including the federal and NSW lower houses, leave it up to the discretion of the Speaker.
Lawyers Slater and Gordon said women were legally entitled to breastfeed in all workplaces and offices, including during meetings, in churches, in pubs and clubs, on public transport and in airports, including while boarding a plane as long as safety was not compromised.
In Canberra, the ACT Assembly changed standing orders in 2008 to allow breastfeeding, with the rules now reading, "While the Assembly is sitting no stranger, other than a nursing infant being breastfed by a Member, may be present in any part of the Chamber allocated to Members of the Assembly."
Mrs Jones is the first local politician to feed her baby in the Chamber, with former Chief Minister Katy Gallagher feeding two of her children in cabinet meetings, departmental briefings and other meetings but not in the Chamber, given her ministerial role.
Slater and Gordon said while it was doubtful any Speaker would attempt to deny a politician the right to breastfeed, changing the standing orders to refer specifically to breastfeeding set an example to others.
Employment lawyer Vicky Antzoulatos said women's right to breastfeed "any time or place they need to" was well established and protected by the federal Sex Discrimination Act which outlaws discrimination against women on the grounds of breastfeeding.
But obligations on employers to facilitate breastfeeding were still unclear and many women were reluctant to make a fuss to exercise their rights, she said.
"Some mothers find themselves expressing in their cars for want of an appropriate and private space, while others find it difficult to juggle scheduled breaks."
Mrs Jones is determined to lead the way in breastfeeding at work, with her three and a half month old baby, Maximus, joining her in her office since she returned to work last week.
"If he needs feeding and I'm in the Chamber then I'll feed him. That's my commitment to him: if he's hungry he will be fed," she said this week. "It's worth doing for his benefit, for my benefit and for the society's benefit."
