Category: children


Doing the right thing for the kids

Filed under: children, family, marriage — Leave a comment
September 9, 2011

A major study has linked the decline in marriage and the rise of one-parent families with a range of social problems, including growing rates of child abuse and neglect, and increased mental health issues among teens. The main demographic change leading to a deterioration in wellbeing is the rise in the number of children who by age 15 have spent time not living with both biological parents.

The report, For Kids’ Sake, calls for the creation of a taxpayer-funded Families Commission to run relationship counselling and parenting education programs.

But the report’s author, Sydney law professor Patrick Parkinson, says we have become too dependent on governments to solve social problems. He also wants charitable trusts to be set up in local council areas, staffed by volunteers who will run family support programs so the community can take responsibility for repairing the damage caused by family breakdown.

Professor Parkinson has compiled an important and timely report, and his recommendations deserve serious consideration by both sides of federal politics.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, Sunday 11 September 2011.

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Kids at risk from R18+ games

Filed under: censorship, children, gaming — 1 Comment
May 31, 2011

This week saw the release of draft guidelines for the classification of computer games by the federal Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O’Connor. There will be no restrictions on bad language, or drug use, or nudity, and sex acts may be “realistically simulated.”

Until now, adult-themed computer games have been banned from sale in Australia. These guidelines give the green light to almost any content including racist and suicide themes, and even sexual violence “if justified by the context.”

Politicians are kidding themselves if they think these new moral benchmarks will offer better protection for children while allowing adults to play what they like. It is fanciful to claim, as industry lobbyists do, that allowing such high-impact games to be legally available in Australia would restrict the availability of material unsuitable for children and teenagers.

Once this material is freely available in homes and on computers in our suburbs, children will be exposed to it, and be encouraged to participate by morally confused individuals. An R18+ computer game rating will fail families, and impact the moral formation of children.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, Sunday 29 May 2011.

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Tobacco smoke harms the unborn

Filed under: children, health, smoking — Leave a comment
May 17, 2011

A Canadian study has revealed the alarming fact that exposure of pregnant women to second-hand tobacco smoke more than trebles their risk of delivering a still-born baby.

A coalition of 41 child protection, parenting, church and community bodies has called on all Australian governments to legislate swiftly to make all crowded public places, enclosed or not, 100 per cent smoke free to protect pregnant women and babies from second-hand tobacco smoke.  This includes all public dining, drinking and gambling areas, children’s playgrounds, transport shelters, crowded sports and swimming areas, shopping malls, and near the entrances of all public buildings.

Coalition spokesperson Anne Jones said, “Every day of delay means more preventable exposure and more harm.  Australia is committed under the World Trade Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to protect all people from second-hand smoke.

“We should not allow the tobacco industry to cloud the air with bogus arguments about ‘personal freedom’ and ‘nanny states.’  No one has the right to smoke where it harms not only adults but children and babies.”

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 3 April 2011.

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Donor conception and kids’ rights

Filed under: children, reproductive technologies — Leave a comment
February 20, 2011

Sperm donor anonymity to be prohibited

In June 2010 the federal Senate requested that an inquiry be conducted and a report tabled on the regulation of donor conception, one of the main forms of artificial reproductive technology.

The report was released on 10 February.  Among other things, the report recommends a ban on sourcing donor material from overseas, a prohibition on donor anonymity, and the maintenance of the current ban on payments for donation of sperm, eggs and embryos.

One of the submissions to the inquiry, by donor conception support group Tangled Webs, noted that “The desire to provide children for infertile couples does not override the child’s need for, and right to, this vital relationship with his or her genetic parents.”

Jim Wallace, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby, observed that the proposed prohibition on donor anonymity flew in the face of claims by the gay lobby that donor-conceived children of same sex couples could be denied access to their biological parents.

Technology delivers amazing freedoms, and new ethical and legal challenges, but at the end of the day what is paramount is what is in the best interests of the child.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 20 Feb 2011.

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Seena to be released from detention

Filed under: asylum seekers, children, immigration — Leave a comment
February 20, 2011

Seena grieving at the funeral of his father

Two events this week tested my respect for politicians.  The first was the federal opposition’s criticism of a decision by the immigration department to fly grieving asylum seekers to funerals in Sydney for eight of those killed in last December’s boat disaster.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said it seemed “a bit unusual that the Government is flying people to funerals.”  And shadow immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said taxpayers should not have to foot the travel bill.  The comments were as disgraceful as the political opportunism that prompted them.  Compassion must outweigh the gains from political point scoring.

The second event was the decision to return nine-year-old Seena, orphaned in the boat crash, back to Christmas Island after the funeral of his father.  His mother’s body has never been recovered.

The good news is that Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has now agreed to release him into the community.  Immigration detention is no place for a child.  And there are some 1045 kids still in detention.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 20 Feb 2011.

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