[ozmidwifery] Midwives in NT and elsewhere need YourHelp

[Denise Hynd]

The Maternity Coalition (MC) and the Australian College of Midwives Incorporated (ACMI) are calling on Mothers, Midwives and families of Australia to support a national action. In May the NT Government passed the Health Professionals Act that requires all health professionals to have Professional Indemnity Insurance (PI).  For the last 3 years the NT government has known that PI has been unavailable to midwives on the global insurance market.  The Northern Territory Government has removed all rights of women to access midwifery care in their community/home attended by an experienced and registered midwife. In May this year the NT Nursing Board applied this legislation, and to date have refused 2 midwives registration in the Northern Territory and taken 1 midwife off the register because they are unable to obtain PI.   The MC and the ACMI have decided enough is enough!  We must ensure all Australian women have choice and access to fair and reasonable cost effective midwifery care and that midwives can rightfully practice their skills in any setting according to the World Health Organisation definition of a Midwife, supported by International Colleges of Midwives. The National leaders of MC and ACMI are meeting with the Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott and Shadow Health Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th August, 2004 in Canberra.  They will inform the Government of the dangerous position in which they have placed women and midwives by restricting practice under this new legislation. Women are already birthing at home alone because they cannot obtain the services of an experienced midwife. A groundswell of people around the nation is embarking on a major campaign to bring this unfair and discriminatory issue to the attention of federal leaders.  A campaign to demonstrate the effects of legislation applied only to those midwives unable to purchase PI. Please help ensure that our federal representatives receive our message that women and midwives are united in wanting the Howard Government to take immediate steps in obtaining PI insurance for midwives, so that Australian women have access to fair and reasonable cost effective midwifery care.   THE PLAN Template Letters can be downloaded from the ACMI and MC websites www.maternitycoalition.org.au - campaign kit www.acmi.org.au/text/whois/representingyou.htm   If posting six (6) letters should be individually signed with your return address details. If faxing send the same letter to the following fax numbers. Send the first letter to: The Hon. Tony Abbott MP Phone (02) 6277 7220 Fax (02) 6273 4146 Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 The Second letter to: Your Federal Representative check the website addresses below for mail details Then another four letters to: one to each of the following MP�s The Hon John Howard MP Prime Minister Phone (02) 6277 7700 Fax (02) 6273 4100 House of Representatives Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 Mr Mark Latham MP Leader of the Opposition Phone (02) 6277 4022 Fax (02) 6277 8495 House of Representatives Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 Bob Brown Senator for Tasmania (Greens) Phone (02) 6277 3170 Fax (02) 6277 3185 Electorate Office 9th Floor, Marine Board Building 1 Franklin Wharf, Hobart TAS 7000 Andrew Bartlett Senator for Queensland (Democrats) Phone (02) 6277 3645 Fax (02) 6277 3235 Electorate Office Suite 14 B1, 7/421 Brunswick Street Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 LLetters will be more effective if FAXED or MAILED not emailed. BBusy politicians may trash an influx of emails http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/homepages/s-http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/index.htm hhttp://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/memlist.pdf                                                     Denise Hynd   "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world.  For, indeed, they are the only ones who ever have."  Margaret Mead