Undermining Families
by Ron Hellyer
God created man and woman that they may become one and multiply. This is the foundation of our existence on this planet and the basic structure of the family.
As is happening with so many areas in our society, the family structure has had enormous erosion upon its existence in the contemporary world.
This week the British parliament passed legislation to permit same sex couples to adopt children.
The sperm and egg banks that were created for couples experiencing fertility problems are fast becoming a supermarket for lesbian couples to experience children.
‘Where there is a will there is a way ‘ is a common phrase often meaning I’ll get what I want.
Sadly it is the children who often do not get what they need.
A man cannot fulfil the role of a mother and a women cannot fulfil the role of a father. Children, during the various stages in their development need both for stable development.
No doubt there may be success stories out there which support artificial families. However only last week a prominent high court judge put forward his suggestions that the Family Law Act be changed to recognise same sex couples who have experienced separation and who currently do not have the same legal recourse as do heterosexual couples!
Separation, is defined by the Macquarie Dictionary as ‘a judicial decree absolving the parties from the duty of cohabitation’. Such a decree does not diminish the right of children to a father and mother.
With divorce rates close to a third of all marriages, it is vital that fathers attend to their families more.
I was retrenched from my job earlier this year and as a father, I have struggled greatly to provide for my family. This could be reduced by taking on work opportunities in many places around Australia, but the financial rewards nullify the cost of losing my family.
I have made a decision to work less and spend more time with my teenage family and my loving and supportive wife. I now work for income 4 days a week.
I challenge fathers to try and find a solution to giving more of yourself to your family. They will appreciate it and you will greatly reduce the chance of being a statistic on the ‘separation’ spreadsheet.
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Urgent Action
In Federal Parliament this Tuesday, 12th November, Kevin Glancy, advisor to Ken Ticehurst, Member for Dobell (Wyong), is organising a panel with many Federal members of the coalition. Kevin is passionate about the discrimination against Aussie dads in our current court system, and has asked for letters (case studies) and emails to be forwarded to him so that he can present your letters to the politicians who come to this panel. This is a wonderful opportunity to present your case and know it will be used to make something happen. Kevin Glancy has asked me to assure you that he will take care of your letters but cannot guarantee his reply because of the huge amount of letters he anticipates due to the enormity of the problem across Australia.
Send your emails re discrimination against Aussie dads by the court system and related material to:
kevin.glancy@aph.gov.au
Kevin Glancy
c/- Ken Ticehurst MP
Member for Dobell
PO Box 407
THE ENTRANCE NSW 2261
Ph: 02 4334 1930
Newsflash
Senator Len Harris has recently presented to the Senate a proposal to amend the Family Law Act by introducing joint residence (shared and equal parenting) as the over-riding principle in determining the care of children.
To write your letters of support, get a list of senators details from www.aph.gov.au.
Newsflash
Larry Anthony, Minister for Youth Affairs, is working for change to the Child Support Agency. The following excerpt is taken from The Sunday Telegraph, November 3rd, p37:
…A Federal Government survey found 28 per cent of Australia’s children are in single parent families and 39 per cent of the youngest children in these families had no contact in the past 12 months with their non-residential parent.
The startling figures have prompted Federal Youth Affairs Minister, Larry Anthony, to renew calls for a reduction in the financial burden on non-residential parents, usually fathers. He introduced an amendment last year to reduce child support payable by non-resident parents, whose children stayed with them 10 to 30 per cent of nights.
The amendment was defeated in the Senate.
Mr Anthony said he would now consider reintroducing it in recognition of widespread dissatisfaction with child access laws.
General News
Warwick Marsh and Richard Yiap will be in Federal Parliament next week for discussions with Federal politicians regarding a proposed National Fathering Summit.
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Letters * Dear Fatherhood Foundation
Thank you for your letter of 27 August 2002.
Mr Abbott has noted the information that you have sent to him about the Fatherhood Foundation and has asked me to thank you for bringing the work that you are doing at the Foundation to his attention. Enclosed is a copy of a speech delivered by Mr Abbott recently that may be of interest to you.
Yours sincerely
Maxine Sells
Excerpts form Mr Abbott’s speech
… The RSPCA, I’m told. Once produced ads declaring that “a dog is for life not just for Christmas”. Although spouses and children are in a very different category, an analogous campaign against family breakdown is almost unthinkable because it would touch too many raw nerves. In a public discourse which often seems dominated by economics, one of the great unmentionables is the economic consequences of divorce. Family breakdown imposes massive costs on the social security system (the Parenting Pension alone costs $4 billion a year with two thirds of beneficiaries separated and the rest mostly single mums.) Divorce nearly always leaves both partners and children financially worse off. Of the 435,000 Australian families where no-one has a job, nearly 300,000 are sole parent families (because, for understandable reasons, nearly 50 per cent of sole parents aren’t in the workforce). Policy-makers are rightly concerned at the number of children growing up in jobless households but nervously skirt the contribution made by the near tripling of the divorce rate over the past 30 years such that nearly 50 per cent of marriages are now statistically doomed.
John Anderson was once pilloried for the comment that politicians who cheat on their wives will cheat on their voters. His point was that character is indivisible and that people who aren’t committed to their loved ones are unlikely to be committed to anyone. What’s happened to Adam Smith’s “judge within” to allow the divorce rate to change so far, so fast? Without big changes in public opinion, the Family Law Act is a no-go zone for legislators but that shouldn’t necessarily make it off limits for commentators.
It’s hard to have such a debate without making individuals uneasy. Considering all the things we might have done, whose conscience can be clear? Even so, it’s hard to have a serious discussion about social policy without acknowledging the ramifications of family breakdown for delinquency, substance abuse, unemployment, poor mental health, educational set backs and the low birth rate. No matter how complex the factors invariably are in each family breakdown and however justifiable any particular divorce may be, it can hardly be denied that widespread rupturing of the bonds of affection and responsibility between individuals does immense damage to society as a whole. . . .
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* Dear Fatherhood Foundation
I pray for you guys every time I receive your email and many other times as well. I am both a natural and a step father with 2 great sons of my own being 5 months and 3 years and 3 step sons being 16, 13, & 12. I would imagine that there are many other stepfathers out there. Mixed families have their own peculiarities and I was wondering if you had plans to include an item in your email on stepfathering.
Keep up the great work
Craig Bennett
icmtgca@ispdr.net.au
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