Comments on: Our Family-Friendly (Not) Labor Government

By: Bill Muehlenberg

Bill Muehlenberg — Fri, 13 May 2011 09:20:30 +0000

Thanks Annette

Good to know this site is having a bit of an impact.

Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch

By: Annette Nestor

Annette Nestor — Fri, 13 May 2011 08:59:15 +0000

This article and in fact, all the articles I’ve read so far on the childcare section of your website are very encouraging. I chose to be a stay at home mum, but if I’d known then what I know now, I would have been more confident about my role when asked the usual question……so what do you do? My perceptions have changed since then though, particularly this year after spending hours and hours reading and learning from your articles. I think they’re actually changing my life.

Annette Nestor, Perth

By: Greg Brien

Greg Brien — Sun, 18 May 2008 06:41:44 +0000

Further on Tas Walker’s comment. We need to pray and work that the three old political parties are removed from the grip of those who deny the original tenets of the parties.
Greg Brien

By: Greg Brien

Greg Brien — Sun, 18 May 2008 06:34:59 +0000

Great article, Bill.
Numbers have asked: “What can we do?” Some have given some answers. My answer is be salt and light. Here a little there a little. eg My wife drives a school bus. The children were talking about how the moon came to be. Their teacher told them that something crashed into the earth and the moon broke off. My wife said that that could not be possible. The earth is round without a hole in it. The children asked how it came into being. She replied that the Bible has the answer: That God created the moon and all the heavenly bodies. End of discussion.

Another initiative in which I am involved is 08.08.08, a prayer and teaching gathering over the days 07.08.08 – 11.08.08 which will link teaching, prayer and celebration over most of the isssues raised by 2020 Summit. This gathering has its origins in part in Summit Ministries conferences held in Australia over the last four years.

Greg Brien

By: Jonathan Sarfati

Jonathan Sarfati — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:39:34 +0000

How Kiwis will sacrificially save the world:

Let’s use cooling off period to check our facts
Terry Dunleavy
New Zealand Herald
6 May 2008

The rate of increase in atmospheric CO2 has been about 1.5 parts per million (ppm) per year over the past 15 years. New Zealand produces about 0.2 per cent of the world’s man-made production of CO2. Even if NZ totally eliminated CO2 emissions, the difference would be to reduce the annual rate of increase in the atmosphere by 0.2 per cent of 1.5ppm, equalling 0.003ppm which equals 3 parts per billion. This of course is a far lower amount than can even be detected.

Are we seriously going to shatter our economy, restrict ourselves to a fragile electricity system, cost every family in the land $1000 to $1500 per year in electricity expenses alone, seriously damage our agriculture industry, etc. by trying to reduce New Zealand’s minuscule CO2 contribution?

But it’s worse than that. The Government’s stated goal is to reduce our CO2 emissions by 20 per cent . So if we were to succeed in this, and thereby reduce New Zealand’s 3 parts per billion contribution to 20 per cent of this figure, the reduction in global CO2 arising from our action would amount to 0.6 parts per billion per year.

And all the while the actual world increase is 1.5 parts CO2 per million annually, which is 2500 times greater than the reduction in CO2 emission which would cripple New Zealand.

Jonathan Sarfati, Brisbane

By: Elizabeth Marcus

Elizabeth Marcus — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:43:29 +0000

I agree with many of the comments made in the above article. I began my ‘motherhood career’ at 37 after many years in the corporate world and I can honestly say that after 4 years full time at home I have achieved a core sense of contentment that I have never known before.

This has meant we have had one income to live on and we have been willing to do this because:
a) It has retained a balance in our lives and relationship which we feel is essential to our marriage and family life
b) It is our conviction that our children are benefiting immensely from having a stay-at-home parent, including emotinal resilience, intelligence, curiosity about the world and a desire to be an active and productive participant in the world
c) The intimacy that can be achieved when young children have a primary care giver at home will lead to them being able to form lasting and cohesive relationships as adults
d) From a content and happy childhood, surely a content and happy adult will grow?

While I agree that where the home environment is less than helathy institutionalised child care may in fact be better I do not agree with the erosion of motherhood as a vital, vibrant and worthwhile career choice for women.

I have received no income, superannuation or social benefits since September 2003. I doubt that I exist in any of the statistics regarding paid employemnt/unemployemnt and I don’t believe I rank in any ‘economic viablity’ study.

I do however rank very hghly in the eyes and hearts of my husband and three children and I beleive that family needs to be seen above ‘economics’ as the value of a loving and functional family lies in it’s on-going creation of human beings who carry forth in their thoughts and ultimately their actions: self-respect, respect for others, belonging, community, loyalty and trust. Surely that is what makes a sustainable society?

“How we treat the child, the child will treat the world.”

Elizabeth Marcus

By: Jonathan Sarfati

Jonathan Sarfati — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:16:49 +0000

Site documenting Chairman Rudd's inconsistencies, stupid policies, and economy with the truth. Jonathan Sarfati, Brisbane

By: Bruce Bennett

Bruce Bennett — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:27:31 +0000

Well Bill, with the 2020 back patting and PC greetings over, can we expect anything else if the balance is lop sided, and when did the family no longer be the Core of Society? I personally don’t believe that it has ever shifted, but only in the minds of those who don’t care or that they are just to self-obsessed to want to care. Its a shame to see a man like Kevin Rudd who appears to have such a repore with the Australian community be part of such a Governing party whom don’t seem to share his likeminded principles: i.e. Good living family man etc etc. I might be tempted to suggest that if Australia were ready (?) for a Woman PM then would anyone be surprised if there was a takeover?
There is one thing though that I am concerned with: How is it that a women in Fed Govt who belongs to the “Emily’s List”, be allowed to Govern, taking into account that the ideals of Emily’s list are very firmly entrenched in their own agenda. It SEEMS (emphasis added) that they are using a Fed Govt position to further their ideals at the expense of the communities they are supposed to be serving, e.g. Pro Abortion to name just one issue, is this at the expense of the desires of those living in their electorate? I would suggest so, keeping in mind that not every Women Fed member is on the “E” list, taking into account according to their website that there are 152 Labor women in parliament of which 113 are Emily’s List members. Please don’t get me wrong, I think Women have created the best balance at meeting the personal needs of our Australian community, that’s because they have that “inbuilt” sensor that sees things that most men only dream about, that’s the balance of why a women is a women, and why a man is a man. With this in mind Bill, It is a pity that there wasn’t a balance in representation from the community, but a lot of personal views from personalities that are not really in a good position to evaluate, i.e. those who work at the bottom of the cliff face where a great deal of the less fortunate in our communities end up.
Bruce Bennett

By: Marion Teh

Marion Teh — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:09:24 +0000

Absolutely right…other than “grumbling” what can we do…Well as David suggested…get on our knees and pray…And then we need to be more pro-active..let our voices be heard. Whatever response we get does not matter…at least we have done our part. One other thing, I do not see all the above comments, including Bill’s article, as “grumbling”. They are merely expressing concerns for the next generation and the state of our society which is sadly but truly decaying…. we need to be aware of the issues surrounding us, yet unfortunately, not all of us are…(speaking for myself too), therefore once again I want to thank Bill for raising our awareness. Thank you Bill.
Marion Teh

By: Patricia Halligan

Patricia Halligan — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:47:22 +0000

Dear Bill, Thank you for the informative articles which I can always trust and believe in and the above in particular which I would like to comment on. Quite frankly I feel very angry and horrified that the some of the so called ‘brightest and best’ Australians can wish such dreadful things on defenceless children. I had no faith in Kevin Rudd’s talkfest from the beginning and have even less now if that were possible. The Rudd government must think we are stupid because it is obvious the real reason the ‘summit’ was called was to put the Republican issue back on the agenda under the cover of wanting to know what Australians think about other issues but that is beside the point I want to make here. My point is that any young mother in Australia especially those who are being economically driven into the work place knows in her heart and soul that the best care their baby can have is the one she can give them if only she had a real choice. This is for the simple reason that no one can love her child like she does. It is as simple as that! After all didn’t she carry her child for nine months in her womb and give birth to him/her? The child care worker as much as she loves working with children and is kind to them didn’t have that privilege. It means everything! If it doesn’t why do we hear about so many women who are still grieving years after their abortions or for the babies they had to relinquish? There simply is no substitute for a mother’s love! It is the most precious thing in the world! In all honesty what would female journalists and polititians hardened by having had to claw their way to the top of their professions in what is widely acknowledged to be a tough man’s world know, remember or care about the special relationship which has to be given plenty of precious time to blossom and develop between a mother and her child ? These women think they have brains but they have hearts of stone and little common sense. How can it possibly be good for a tender little child to be herded, along with others, into long day care. Maxine McKew should be ashamed of herself for suggesting such a thing! Yours Sincerely,

Patricia Halligan