Senator Bilyk encourages Tasmanians to share stillbirth stories

Senator for Tasmania, Catryna Bilyk, announced that she will be participating in a new Senate select committee inquiring into stillbirths in Australia, and has encouraged people affected by stillbirth to share their stories.

“Having been through the shock and emotional pain of a stillbirth, I am hopeful that the Committee can come up with recommendations that will help reduce the rate of stillbirths in Australia, so that other parents don’t have to go through the same agonising experience,” Senator Bilyk said.

“While I expect that we will receive submissions from policymakers and medical experts, it is also important for us to hear the personal stories of people affected by stillbirth, so the Committee can appreciate the profound impact it has had on individuals as well as society as a whole.”

The Senate Select Committee on Stillbirth Research and Education will be considering a range of matters including the consistency of stillbirth data across states and territories, the co-ordination of stillbirth research nationally and internationally, and the economic impact of stillbirths.

The Committee is accepting written submissions until 29 June 2018 and is due to report early next year. Public hearing dates and locations are expected to be advertised shortly.

Submissions can be emailed to [email protected] or posted to:

Select Committee on Stillbirth Research and Education
Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

“The Committee can consider requests by submitters to make their submissions confidential,” Senator Bilyk said, “however, anyone who wishes to include sensitive, personal details in their submission should be aware that whether the submission is made public is a decision for the Committee.”

Further information about the inquiry is available at:
www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Stillbirth_Research_and_Education/Stillbirth

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SENATOR CATRYNA BILYK SENATOR FOR TASMANIA