“Roaring into the world”: baby’s arrival brings light

Macnamara MP Josh Burns loves his job as a politician but is determined to help shoulder the responsibility of care for his newborn daughter.

Local representative Josh Burns has been forging a new path in the parliament this year.

Since late December the Macnamara MP has been going about his job with a newborn baby in his arms – something so far rarely seen among male members.

Daughter Lilah Poppy was born to Burns and his partner Georgie Purcell, an Animal Justice Party MP in the Victorian Parliament, on December 19.

The cross-party couple said her arrival, just days after the tragedy at Bondi that struck Burns’ Jewish community, represented light in a time of darkness.

“Roaring into the big world and our hearts, came beautiful Lilah Poppy Purcell,” Burns posted on social media.

“Her name represents purple and red flowers, and it is entwined with family, history and hope for a life of love, beauty and peace.”

“Out of darkness, flowers and beauty grow.”

The MP, who has another daughter, Tia, in grade 2 this year, has referred to parenting as “a team game” and publicly discussed the possibility of taking leave to shoulder his share of the responsibility.

But so far, both politicians are soldiering on, with Purcell back in Parliament in the first week of February and Burns also juggling his job with parenthood, announcing recently he would be working from home for the next two months.

The 38-year-old, reportedly considered to be something of a rising star in the Labor Party, holds the role of Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness, and is very committed to his job.

“I’m in this because I care deeply about it,” he told the ABC in a recent interview.

Purcell, a high-profile crossbencher and the only member of her party in the parliament, is also in a busy career phase in the leadup to the November state election.

In late January when federal parliament was recalled to pass hate speech and gun laws the small family travelled to Canberra so that Burns could represent his Jewish community.

Speaking on a condolence motion for the victims of the terrorist attack, he was briefly interrupted by an outburst from Lilah.

“As my beautiful new daughter cries – forgive me; she'll calm down, hopefully,” he said.

“I've changed my train of thought here. I think that will happen over the next few months.”

In the first week of February the MP also posted pictures of the pair in an online meeting, Lilah nestled in the crook of his arm.

“Multitasking this morning,” he wrote. “Between us, we chaired the Public Accounts and Audit Committee meeting, finished a bottle, burped and fell asleep.”

Burns wanted to share the message to let his community know he was “still here working for them” with his “hardworking and brilliant staff” still running the office as usual, he said.

“But also, because we should normalise dads taking a greater share of the load.”

“And personally, I couldn’t be more excited.”