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May 16th, 2013 
Prime Minister Julia Gillard, pictured here with Sports Minister Kate Lundy at Red Hill Primary School, says the Opposition’s decision to not provide Labor MP Michelle Rowland with a pair shows they lack compassion towards working mothers. Picture: Ray Strange
Source: News Limited
JULIA Gillard says the Opposition’s refusal to grant a Labor MP a pair in parliament so she could care for a sick child shows their lack of compassion for working women.
Chief Opposition whip Warren Entsch has today put out a statement saying Labor MP Michelle’s Rowland’s request to be granted a parliamentary “pair” to leave Canberra by 5pm tonight to care for her sick child came with a number of other such requests from Labor backbenchers.
“I queried the request because it was clear from the wording on the application that there was no sense of urgency and on that basis I refused the pair,” Mr Entsch said.
He said following the request on Monday there was “no attempt by the Chief Government Whip or Michelle Rowland to provide further information that could allow me to reconsider her request”.
“If Ms Rowland’s child is sick, then she should leave the parliament immediately and a pair will be granted,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the matter was a poor look for Tony Abbott.
“Can I say very clearly, what has happened with this matter makes an absolute mockery of everything the Leader of the Opposition has ever said about working women,” Ms Gillard said.
“It just shows so clearly that he doesn’t get it.”
Chief Opposition whip Warren Entsch, seen here with Malcolm Turnbull, says he refused to grant Michelle Rowland a pair so that she could return home to be with her sick child as the wording of her application didn’t contain a sense of urgency. Picture: Ray Strange
This morning manager of Opposition business Christopher Pyne said he would be questioning Mr Entsch over what exactly he knew about the Labor MP’s request.
Mr Pyne this morning said the Coalition would “absolutely” grant Sydney MP Michelle Rowland a parliamentary “pair” to be absent from proceedings after 5pm today.
They say she told Mr Entsch that she needed to be at home with her 14-month-old daughter Octavia, who is believed to be suffering the flu and severe fever.
“If we were aware that Michelle Rowland had a sick infant on Monday, she would have been given a pair on Monday” said manager of Opposition business Christopher Pyne. Picture: Gary Ramage
Mr Pyne said the leave was requested on Monday for Ms Rowland to be with a “ill family member” but did not specify it was her child.
“Warren Entsch quite rightly thought … that he would like further information,” he said.
“He never heard from Michelle Rowland again.
“If we were aware that Michelle Rowland had a sick infant on Monday, she would have been given a pair on Monday.”
He said the Labor party was just trying to play politics with the issue.
“How desperate will Labor become to be now using a sick child as a political pawn to try and attack Tony Abbott,” Mr Pyne said.
But when it was put to Mr Pyne by reporters that the letter from Ms Rowland to Mr Entsch clearly stated the leave was to be with her child he said he would be asking further questions.
“I might,” he said.
“That’s not the information that I have been provided by the chief whip,” he said.
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