MP Rebekah Pentland reveals ‘shock’ pregnancy but getting on with parliament

One of Tasmania’s newest MPs says she’s doing her bit to grow the state’s population. Her big baby news.

Independent MP Rebekah Pentland. Picture: Stephanie Dalton

While one of Tasmania’s new MPs says it was “a bit of a shock” to find out she was pregnant, the Speaker of the House of Assembly says she will do all she can to ensure parliament supports her.

Independent Bass MP Rebekah Pentland announced in a quirky media release at the weekend “a modest but bold policy when it comes growing Tasmania’s population”.

“To be completely honest, it was definitely a bit of a shock,” she told the Mercury on Sunday.

“I’m turning 47 next year, and Miriam (her daughter) is one, and I don’t think you expect that kind of thing to happen.

“We were kind of wanting to have a little friend if it happened, but I’ve been so busy.

“I just decided two weeks ago to do a pregnancy test because I was feeling a bit off colour and then did a dating scan just this week to find out that I’m 18 weeks.”

Rebekah Pentland independent member for Bass. Return to the House of Assembly question time. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Ms Pentland, a mother of three was elected as a member of the Jacqui Lambie Network at the March state election before resigning to sit as an independent, said Miriam was nine months old, when she was campaigning.

“I just need to get used to the baby being by my side for the first 12 months.

“I am a hands on mum, and, you know, I want to breastfeed and care for my young for the first 12 months. I think that’s really important.”

Ms Pentland said it would be a challenge when parliament was sitting because she did not have the same support in Hobart as her home base in Launceston.

“Parliament will be a little bit tricky, but I’ll just plug on as with anything in life, you get on with it and make the best of it,” she said.

“I am concerned there is no pairing arrangement for parliament so I might have to pair with different people.”

Speaker Michelle O’Byrne said she was going to see what other parliaments interstate did in terms of support and the granting of pairs for votes on the floor of parliament.

She said Ms Pentland was entitled to 12 weeks’ parental leave.

Return of state parliament for the first sitting day since the state election, new speaker of the House of Assembly Michelle O'Byrne MP. Picture: Chris Kidd

Ms O’Byrne said when she was a member of federal parliament and had her two daughters, now aged 23 and 22, there was no leave.

“You weren’t granted pairs and there wasn’t a leave arrangement for maternity leave,” she said.

“Both my girls would have been in parliament with me before they were six weeks old

“It was really difficult but that’s one of the reasons we’ve worked hard to make it easier.

“Any workplace should be flexible and it should be more normalised.”

Ms O’Byrne said one of her daughters came onto the floor of parliament for a vote on the sale of Telstra and the other for a valedictory speech “eating a rusk”.

She chose not to breastfeed them in the chamber saying she preferred a “quiet space, and parliament is not necessarily the quietest and relaxed place to feed”.

Ms Pentland’s baby is due at Easter.

Originally published as MP Rebekah Pentland reveals ‘shock’ pregnancy but getting on with parliament