How can it be a stunt if Senator Hanson-Young was not expecting Kora to be removed from the chamber? No one had taken issue with her bringing Kora in for the odd division in the past, so there was no reason for her to assume someone would take issue with it now. Where is the evidence that this was pre-mediated? If it was, then Senator Hogg must have been a willing participant as well. Are you suggesting this?

Here’s Senator Hanson-Young’s account of the situation, which I’d say is more reliable than Barnaby Joyce’s (one of the first to brand it a ’stunt’), who wasn’t in the chamber at the time of the incident (check Hansard if you like – 18 June, page 84).

http://sarah-hanson-young.greensmps.org.au/content/speech/debate-standing-order-respect-visitors-senate-floor

So she’s done it a few times, sure, doesn’t mean anything.
The fact (as you request) remains that this has grabbed the media’s attention, which is exactly what was wanted, whether it was this time or the last is irrelevant.

Here here to Andrew Lewis – she cannot devote herself entirely to both roles.

Children in the workplace is both humanising and awkward. Humanising to all, distracting to most, productivity-challenging to all.

Kids should be welcome on special occasions, and a vote in the senate is neither here nor there, but the expectations of Eva Cox and others that “workplaces need to be as permeable as homes: we now are on call at home 24/7 so why not have children in the workplace?” will just lead to homes becoming workplaces rather than workplaces becoming homes.

The separation between home and workplace needs to be guarded jealously, not because it harms the workplace, but because it destroys the home.

The idea that a parliamentarian, someone allegedly working 70 hour weeks, can be a ‘primary care-giver’ is a non-sequitur. It doesn’t matter whether you are male or female; mathematics and an apparent inability to transcend time means that you are not ‘primary’ at that point.

I’m horrified at the levels of misogyny and child-hatred I’ve seen in comments threads in every single media outlet I’ve visited, and I’m starting to wonder how much of this is partisan as I can’t imagine so much hatred by so many people being directed at a Labor or Liberal MP for doing the same thing.

It is a sorry state of affairs when female politicians who choose not to have children are subjected to ridicule in the public arena (Julia Gillard anyone), and those who embrace motherhood within the institution of parliament are subjected to the same treatment.

People in dangerous jobs like policing, or in a power plant etc aren’t advocating bringing their children to work. They have common sense! I take issue with those who allowed the new parliament house to be built without child care facilities – day and night? They frequently sit until late or the wee hours of the following day. There’s no shortage of bars or eating places, a coffee lounge and a well equipped gym. It doesn’t take much to look at the ‘decision makers’ around during the discussion and tendering for the building project? Mostly men, and their wives/partners were safely ’stored’ at home looking after their children. This is 2009 – it’s time to get with modern thinking, re the needs and responsibilites of parents and of course, their children. I’m glad there’s young mothers in both Houses – if only they were there 20-40 yrs ago – my generation wouldn’t have had to wait this long for education and peoples’ needs to catch up with reality. We understand much better now, about the vital early years, for both children and their parents. What’s the point of having the knowledge of the 21st century, and insisting on maintaining the inhumane and dangerous practices of the past. I’d like to see the Federal Government introduce policies, where child minding facilities are to be part of any new workplace, particularly those with large numbers of employees, or big buildings, where the costs could be shared by many companies.
In the meantime, there should be a creche in Parliament House – get rid of one of the bars if space is a problem?
Good on you Sarah – I look forward to seeing your little one in the Senate again!