News

Spokesperson:	The Senator Rachel Siewert MP Australian Greens
Date:	Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Category:	Reports

The Australian Greens are deeply concerned that a Commonwealth plan to effectively give doctors veto over the rights of midwives to practice will erode women's care choices. “The Government amendments to their Midwives legislation are unnecessary and give doctors too much control over midwives practice” said Greens health spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert said today. "We have said all along that any requirement that midwives must work in formal collaborative arrangements with doctors as a condition of insurance will further restrict women's choices". "We believe the Midwives Bills do not address the needs of many Australian women who make the choice to give birth outside the hospital system, and we will continue to fight for greater choice and less interventionist maternity care. The amendments proposed by the Government further erode women’s choices. "This is why the Greens have produced a Minority report to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee inquiry, and will continue to rally against the changes,” Senator Siewert concluded.