Josh Burns, a Member of Parliament from the Australian Labor Party, recently made headlines with his announcement that he would take a leave of absence in 2026. He’ll be the main caregiver to his newborn daughter, too, during this year. Burns came to the federal parliament in 2019 at the age of 32, just shy of making fatherhood a founding priority. Beyond that, he’ll back up his partner, Georgie Purcell, a crossbencher with the Animal Justice Party, as she retakes her place in the Victorian legislative council.
Burns and Purcell revealed they were expecting a daughter in early January, with their daughter, Lilah, arriving on December 23. The young couple expects that there will be an extreme learning curve as they figure out their newfound responsibilities and juggle them with their political pursuits.
During a recent exchange with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Burns outlined his international travel plans on parental leave. Albanese’s response has been compassionate, embracing and affirming. He was very receptive to it,” said Burns, recalling the Prime Minister’s initial response on the matter. Albanese discussed his own experiences managing family and working on balance. This bond deeply entrenched Burns’ resolve to step away at a critical juncture in his life.
A Rare Decision in Federal Parliament
Burns’s choice of extended paternity leave still stands out in the federal parliament. Such choices are very much the exception in that environment. As he moves into this next phase, Burns is keen to stress the importance of having younger people in parliament to make representation more diverse and authentic.
“It’s not just 60-year-old blokes anymore, which is a wonderful thing, to have more differences in representation,” he remarked. “I think that comes with finding ways to make it possible.” Whatever caused his unexpected decision, it underscores a growing movement toward more inclusive parental leave policies. This incentivizes the rest of the MPs to look for similar methods.
In addition to caring for Lilah, Burns expressed his commitment to supporting Purcell during her upcoming election campaign in November. “I will be doing a lot of looking after our beautiful daughter,” he explained. “And I will be making sure that I can help support Georgie be a member of parliament too.”
Family Dynamics and Community Support
Despite the positive reception from his colleagues, Burns has faced criticism from some family members and community members regarding his leave. He recognized how the emotional turmoil that comes with juggling home and career life can make things hard.
“It’s like arguing with your family, you know?” Burns stated. The feelings and the kind of emotional, philosophical underpinnings of being in a place where you’re having to negotiate these painful realities with people you care about is a really tough thing. The challenge of navigating these dynamics only underscores the need for open, honest communication and understanding support within families.
Burns has received an outpouring of encouragement from the Jewish community and others who understand the pressures of balancing career and family life. “I really appreciate the outpouring of support from the Jewish community and from everyone who’s reached out to me,” he added.
Looking Ahead
As Burns prepares to take leave, he is focused on cultivating a relationship with his daughter. He too aims to use the experience to think more deeply about how to unite his family life with his work in parliament. He envisions bringing Lilah into parliament when she is older, striving to demonstrate that it is possible to manage both parenting and political responsibilities effectively.
His enthusiasm helped to encourage more than a child’s imagination, as he expressed a willingness to have his daughter move here one day once she was of age. He still hopes to get it working here for this building. This improved approach goes a long way to highlight Burns’s commitment to building a more family-friendly workplace in our nation’s halls of government.
