‘A bit unique': MPs Josh Burns, Georgie Purcell are expecting a baby girl
The pair made social media announcements on Sunday, with Purcell revealing she was receiving weekly medical checks as her pregnancy was deemed high-risk due to Purcell's autoimmune disease.
Burns is a Labor Party member for the Melbourne seat of Macnamara and Purcell is an Animal Justice Party member and sits in the Legislative Council representing Northern Victoria.
Purcell also declared she would be running for re-election in the 2026 state election and planned to return to work in February.
She published a detailed Instagram post about the pregnancy, including thanking the couple 's closest friends for keeping the news private until they chose to make it public.
'This is obviously a vegan pregnancy (and baby) and I've been feeling good which has let me keep pace with sitting weeks, late nights, international travel, community events and the general silliness of the job,' Purcell wrote.
'But this new stage hasn't been without its challenges - some of you have seen me talk in the past about my autoimmune disease. It means I'm navigating pregnancy and a chronic illness and because of the range of antibodies I am positive for, I am officially in the high-risk category.'
She thanked the medical staff who have cared for her during weekly medical check-ups, calling them 'incredibly kind, reassuring and supportive.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Labor recognising Palestinian statehood would be a ‘mistake'
The Australian's Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan discusses Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walking both sides of the street on Gaza and Palestinian statehood. 'I think you have to view this all through the lens of domestic politics and especially managing the left and managing the Labor Party,' Mr Sheridan told Sky News host James Macpherson. 'The current worry the government has of not having another bit of trouble with the Trump administration, I think, recognising a Palestinian state would be a mistake.'
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Doesn't bring her back': death in custody preventable
An Aboriginal woman's newborn baby was ripped from her arms soon after giving birth while in prison. But Heather Calgaret was not given any mental health support after this traumatic event. Over the next two years behind bars, the mother-of-four became obese, developed type 2 diabetes and suffered depression before being denied parole. She died in custody in November 2021 after given an inappropriately prescribed injectable opioid substitution. Countless missed opportunities to prevent the 30-year-old's death in custody were outlined by a coroner on Monday, as her family and supporters filled the courtroom. "Not only was her passing preventable, she should never have passed in the manner that she did," Victorian coroner Sarah Gebert said as she delivered a 300-page finding. The proud Yamatji, Noongar, Wongi and Pitjantjatjara woman had been six months' pregnant when she arrived at Dame Phyllis Frost women's prison in July 2019. The removal of her baby girl just after giving birth, because she had been denied access to the prison's Living with Mum program, was a "pivotal" moment, the coroner found. "Heather had her other children removed ... and her family had been affected by the Stolen Generation," Ms Gebert said. "Each of these factors would be expected to produce a range of both trauma-related symptoms and feelings of despair." Ms Calgaret was not given access to a psychologist while at Dame Phyllis and her mental health declined. About six months before her death, Ms Calgaret pleaded in a letter to be released on parole. She explained the See Change program she was required to complete was not available at Dame Phyllis and asked to do it outside prison. "I have four children that need me. I believe I have suffered enough," Ms Calgaret wrote in the letter. She begged for someone to "please read and answer my letter", but it was never forwarded onto the parole board. The coroner said Ms Calgaret had been eligible to be considered for parole more than a year earlier, about seven months after her sentence for aggravated burglary was imposed. It wasn't until October 2021 - a month before she died - that she was told her parole application had been denied because of a lack of suitable accommodation. On November 22, a doctor gave her a dosage of opiate replacement therapy that was too high for her tolerance level. Ms Calgaret's sister Suzzane, who was housed with her at the prison, found her struggling to breathe the following morning. She shook Ms Calgaret to let her know it was time for the daily count, but her younger sister was not moving. A "code black" was called and she was taken to hospital where she died four days later. The Correct Care Australasia doctor had "lacked the careful consideration required" to prescribe the injectable drug, the coroner said. She found Ms Calgaret would not have died if she had not been given the drug, or if she had been supervised afterwards. Suzzane Calgaret welcomed the findings but said it should not have taken her sister's death for changes to be made. "I hope they just have learned from this because it's taken my sister's life, my mum's daughter's life," she said outside court. "There's a reason now for her passing and that reason has been justified by the outcome, but it doesn't bring her back." Ms Gebert issued 16 recommendations, including monitoring women who give birth in custody for post-natal mental health treatment. She encouraged Justice Health to work with the government and stakeholders to improve the psychological services available at the prison and their care of inmates with chronic health issues. Ms Gebert said the parole application process should be reviewed to ensure it does not undermine the integrity of prison sentencing. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 An Aboriginal woman's newborn baby was ripped from her arms soon after giving birth while in prison. But Heather Calgaret was not given any mental health support after this traumatic event. Over the next two years behind bars, the mother-of-four became obese, developed type 2 diabetes and suffered depression before being denied parole. She died in custody in November 2021 after given an inappropriately prescribed injectable opioid substitution. Countless missed opportunities to prevent the 30-year-old's death in custody were outlined by a coroner on Monday, as her family and supporters filled the courtroom. "Not only was her passing preventable, she should never have passed in the manner that she did," Victorian coroner Sarah Gebert said as she delivered a 300-page finding. The proud Yamatji, Noongar, Wongi and Pitjantjatjara woman had been six months' pregnant when she arrived at Dame Phyllis Frost women's prison in July 2019. The removal of her baby girl just after giving birth, because she had been denied access to the prison's Living with Mum program, was a "pivotal" moment, the coroner found. "Heather had her other children removed ... and her family had been affected by the Stolen Generation," Ms Gebert said. "Each of these factors would be expected to produce a range of both trauma-related symptoms and feelings of despair." Ms Calgaret was not given access to a psychologist while at Dame Phyllis and her mental health declined. About six months before her death, Ms Calgaret pleaded in a letter to be released on parole. She explained the See Change program she was required to complete was not available at Dame Phyllis and asked to do it outside prison. "I have four children that need me. I believe I have suffered enough," Ms Calgaret wrote in the letter. She begged for someone to "please read and answer my letter", but it was never forwarded onto the parole board. The coroner said Ms Calgaret had been eligible to be considered for parole more than a year earlier, about seven months after her sentence for aggravated burglary was imposed. It wasn't until October 2021 - a month before she died - that she was told her parole application had been denied because of a lack of suitable accommodation. On November 22, a doctor gave her a dosage of opiate replacement therapy that was too high for her tolerance level. Ms Calgaret's sister Suzzane, who was housed with her at the prison, found her struggling to breathe the following morning. She shook Ms Calgaret to let her know it was time for the daily count, but her younger sister was not moving. A "code black" was called and she was taken to hospital where she died four days later. The Correct Care Australasia doctor had "lacked the careful consideration required" to prescribe the injectable drug, the coroner said. She found Ms Calgaret would not have died if she had not been given the drug, or if she had been supervised afterwards. Suzzane Calgaret welcomed the findings but said it should not have taken her sister's death for changes to be made. "I hope they just have learned from this because it's taken my sister's life, my mum's daughter's life," she said outside court. "There's a reason now for her passing and that reason has been justified by the outcome, but it doesn't bring her back." Ms Gebert issued 16 recommendations, including monitoring women who give birth in custody for post-natal mental health treatment. She encouraged Justice Health to work with the government and stakeholders to improve the psychological services available at the prison and their care of inmates with chronic health issues. Ms Gebert said the parole application process should be reviewed to ensure it does not undermine the integrity of prison sentencing. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 An Aboriginal woman's newborn baby was ripped from her arms soon after giving birth while in prison. But Heather Calgaret was not given any mental health support after this traumatic event. Over the next two years behind bars, the mother-of-four became obese, developed type 2 diabetes and suffered depression before being denied parole. She died in custody in November 2021 after given an inappropriately prescribed injectable opioid substitution. Countless missed opportunities to prevent the 30-year-old's death in custody were outlined by a coroner on Monday, as her family and supporters filled the courtroom. "Not only was her passing preventable, she should never have passed in the manner that she did," Victorian coroner Sarah Gebert said as she delivered a 300-page finding. The proud Yamatji, Noongar, Wongi and Pitjantjatjara woman had been six months' pregnant when she arrived at Dame Phyllis Frost women's prison in July 2019. The removal of her baby girl just after giving birth, because she had been denied access to the prison's Living with Mum program, was a "pivotal" moment, the coroner found. "Heather had her other children removed ... and her family had been affected by the Stolen Generation," Ms Gebert said. "Each of these factors would be expected to produce a range of both trauma-related symptoms and feelings of despair." Ms Calgaret was not given access to a psychologist while at Dame Phyllis and her mental health declined. About six months before her death, Ms Calgaret pleaded in a letter to be released on parole. She explained the See Change program she was required to complete was not available at Dame Phyllis and asked to do it outside prison. "I have four children that need me. I believe I have suffered enough," Ms Calgaret wrote in the letter. She begged for someone to "please read and answer my letter", but it was never forwarded onto the parole board. The coroner said Ms Calgaret had been eligible to be considered for parole more than a year earlier, about seven months after her sentence for aggravated burglary was imposed. It wasn't until October 2021 - a month before she died - that she was told her parole application had been denied because of a lack of suitable accommodation. On November 22, a doctor gave her a dosage of opiate replacement therapy that was too high for her tolerance level. Ms Calgaret's sister Suzzane, who was housed with her at the prison, found her struggling to breathe the following morning. She shook Ms Calgaret to let her know it was time for the daily count, but her younger sister was not moving. A "code black" was called and she was taken to hospital where she died four days later. The Correct Care Australasia doctor had "lacked the careful consideration required" to prescribe the injectable drug, the coroner said. She found Ms Calgaret would not have died if she had not been given the drug, or if she had been supervised afterwards. Suzzane Calgaret welcomed the findings but said it should not have taken her sister's death for changes to be made. "I hope they just have learned from this because it's taken my sister's life, my mum's daughter's life," she said outside court. "There's a reason now for her passing and that reason has been justified by the outcome, but it doesn't bring her back." Ms Gebert issued 16 recommendations, including monitoring women who give birth in custody for post-natal mental health treatment. She encouraged Justice Health to work with the government and stakeholders to improve the psychological services available at the prison and their care of inmates with chronic health issues. Ms Gebert said the parole application process should be reviewed to ensure it does not undermine the integrity of prison sentencing. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 An Aboriginal woman's newborn baby was ripped from her arms soon after giving birth while in prison. But Heather Calgaret was not given any mental health support after this traumatic event. Over the next two years behind bars, the mother-of-four became obese, developed type 2 diabetes and suffered depression before being denied parole. She died in custody in November 2021 after given an inappropriately prescribed injectable opioid substitution. Countless missed opportunities to prevent the 30-year-old's death in custody were outlined by a coroner on Monday, as her family and supporters filled the courtroom. "Not only was her passing preventable, she should never have passed in the manner that she did," Victorian coroner Sarah Gebert said as she delivered a 300-page finding. The proud Yamatji, Noongar, Wongi and Pitjantjatjara woman had been six months' pregnant when she arrived at Dame Phyllis Frost women's prison in July 2019. The removal of her baby girl just after giving birth, because she had been denied access to the prison's Living with Mum program, was a "pivotal" moment, the coroner found. "Heather had her other children removed ... and her family had been affected by the Stolen Generation," Ms Gebert said. "Each of these factors would be expected to produce a range of both trauma-related symptoms and feelings of despair." Ms Calgaret was not given access to a psychologist while at Dame Phyllis and her mental health declined. About six months before her death, Ms Calgaret pleaded in a letter to be released on parole. She explained the See Change program she was required to complete was not available at Dame Phyllis and asked to do it outside prison. "I have four children that need me. I believe I have suffered enough," Ms Calgaret wrote in the letter. She begged for someone to "please read and answer my letter", but it was never forwarded onto the parole board. The coroner said Ms Calgaret had been eligible to be considered for parole more than a year earlier, about seven months after her sentence for aggravated burglary was imposed. It wasn't until October 2021 - a month before she died - that she was told her parole application had been denied because of a lack of suitable accommodation. On November 22, a doctor gave her a dosage of opiate replacement therapy that was too high for her tolerance level. Ms Calgaret's sister Suzzane, who was housed with her at the prison, found her struggling to breathe the following morning. She shook Ms Calgaret to let her know it was time for the daily count, but her younger sister was not moving. A "code black" was called and she was taken to hospital where she died four days later. The Correct Care Australasia doctor had "lacked the careful consideration required" to prescribe the injectable drug, the coroner said. She found Ms Calgaret would not have died if she had not been given the drug, or if she had been supervised afterwards. Suzzane Calgaret welcomed the findings but said it should not have taken her sister's death for changes to be made. "I hope they just have learned from this because it's taken my sister's life, my mum's daughter's life," she said outside court. "There's a reason now for her passing and that reason has been justified by the outcome, but it doesn't bring her back." Ms Gebert issued 16 recommendations, including monitoring women who give birth in custody for post-natal mental health treatment. She encouraged Justice Health to work with the government and stakeholders to improve the psychological services available at the prison and their care of inmates with chronic health issues. Ms Gebert said the parole application process should be reviewed to ensure it does not undermine the integrity of prison sentencing. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
New footage emerges of attacks on Toll offices in Melbourne
'Police are also looking at whether the incidents are related to any other recent incidents of criminal damage, including an incident at a Greensborough business earlier in July. 'At this time no one has been arrested and the investigation remains ongoing.' Another of the new clips, which the account claims depicts a July 20 attack on a Toll property in Westmeadows, incudes a caption praising terrorist group Hamas and links the vandalism to the Gaza conflict. 'As drivers of genocide in both this colony and overseas, all Toll Holdings assets are valid targets of sabotage,' the clip's caption states. In a statement to The Age, a Toll spokesperson said the logistics giant was aware of the videos. 'We are co-operating fully with police and have provided relevant information to assist with their investigation,' Toll said. 'We take these incidents seriously and continue to maintain security measures across all sites. The safety and wellbeing of our people remain our top priority. 'Regarding claims made by activist groups, Toll provides logistics services compliant with all applicable laws and regulations. Toll Group remains committed to operating safely, responsibly, and in full compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.' NIOA has been contacted for comment. A third video, posted on July 18, shows red paint being sprayed on Toll's St Kilda Road offices and inside the foyer, and windows being smashed. Late on Thursday afternoon, the Instagram account also claimed a federal government contract would see Toll transporting weapons and explosives. Footage of the attacks has been shared by the Australian Jewish Association, a community group that says it is 'guided by Torah and centre-right Australian values', drawing attention to the initial account and criticising the federal government. 'When the Albanese Government incites against the Jewish State, extremists often are inspired to carry our attacks,' it said on X. 'Do you remember a time of so much political and antisemitic violence in Australia? When will the Government take this threat seriously? Are they waiting until people are killed?' On July 17, the Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance (WACA) held a snap demonstration outside Toll's St Kilda Road offices, while the red paint and smashed windows were still to be rectified. WACA did not claim responsibility for the latest videos, but posted in support of the incident on its own Instagram account. WACA has drawn the attention of police recently for a series of escalating actions, including shutting down the Port of Melbourne to block Israeli shipping contractors and scaling the roofs of buildings where weapons parts are manufactured. Several WACA figures led a splinter group of about 20 people away from an anti-police rally on the night of Friday, July 4, before they stormed Israeli restaurant Miznon on Hardware Lane. Loading Several people have since been charged over that incident.
