Politics is a team game – so is being a parent

Last week was the first time since 2019 that I missed a Parliamentary sitting week in Canberra. I’ll admit I did tune into Question Time, embarrassing as that may be.

Since my partner Georgie Purcell gave birth to our beautiful daughter Lilah Poppy Purcell at the end of last year, I’ve been back on dad duty.

I’ve been loving my new role as Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness, but I also feel it’s really important to show that it is perfectly possible for a dad in Parliament to have a kid without handing over all of the responsibility to his partner.

While nothing prepares you for a conversation with the Prime Minister about taking paternity leave, he couldn’t have been more supportive. He told me that he’d done the same thing when his son Nathan was born, and that he’d always hoped to foster a Parliamentary culture that made these kinds of arrangements possible.

Aside from having a daughter, this is a huge year for Georgie. As a Member of the Victorian Parliament representing Northern Victoria, she is going to an election in November. I want to make sure I’m there to support her – to help raise our daughter and do all the same things she did for me during my campaign last year.

In the meantime, my focus is on my community of Macnamara and delivering on the commitments I took to the last election.

We’ve opened our new Headspace in South Melbourne to provide more early intervention mental health services for young people. We’re funding much-needed renovations for the South Melbourne Town Hall – home of the Australian National Academy of Music. We’re building a brand-new public activity space under the Kings Way Overpass. And we’re investing in the new The Fox: NGV Contemporary with brand new exhibition galleries and a beautiful open space for Southbank residents to enjoy.

I’m also continuing to work with my fantastic colleague Clare O’Neil, the Minister for Housing, on doing everything we can to meet the urgent demand for social and affordable housing across our country, including here in Macnamara.

So far, Lilah has proven very helpful. Last week, between finishing her bottle and falling asleep, Lilah chaired her first meeting of the Parliamentary Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit.

Politics is a team game, but so is being a parent, and I’m lucky to be able to have both in my life. I’m very grateful for all the incredible help from my team and family.

While I’m not travelling to Canberra, I’ll still be around, so if there’s anything I can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m looking forward to getting back to Parliament in May and continuing to represent our beautiful community. •