The sadness of men without wives and women without children ... woe is us .

So Sylvia, what exactly do we get if we vote NLP? Do we men, optionally, get to keep our clothes?

I’ve never found anything in life that I’d rather spend my money on than my children and family. In my opinion the joy that children bring far outweighs any risks involved. Any man who lets fear of marriage breakdown stop him from getting married or having a family either has the wrong woman or is still not ready for the commitment.

Ensuring that the government (i.e. taxpayers) bear more of the burden for family breakdowns will only ensure more family breakdowns. The government should be making it more difficult for selfish parents to destroy families. If I break a contract or agreement in my business dealings without a valid reason I will be penalised by the law. Why shouldn’t it be the same for breaking a marriage contract when there is often a lot more at stake than just money?

If people were forced to take marriage more seriously maybe we wouldn’t have to put as much time, effort and money into dealing with the aftermath of marriage breakdown.

Timkins "There are marriages that fail, but marriage remains the best general system for children."

True however - do children benefit best from a pair of parents who remain miserable and married or a pair of parents who face a reality of separation, however both remaining as parents to their children?

Don't rush to find the answer - it took me 3 years of anguish to decide.

IMHO, ultimately, the best environment for children is to have the best relationship and unconditional love from both their parents in an atmosphere free of parental angst and rows. If that means separated / divorced parents then so be it.

Agree with Col on this.

I'm divorced, two kids and despite the break up of my marriage I wouldn't have missed out on the joy of my kids for anything. My ex has custody, as an ambo my hours are not compatible for school hours. I have a good relationship with my ex (after a lot of hard work) and I respect her and her ability to care for our children.

I could've gone down the path of bitterness, but my love for my children ensured that I maintained some semblance of commonsense and worked towards creating an environment where my children know they are loved even though (as parents) my ex and I live apart.

Given that Costello wants us to have a kid for the economy (chilling no?) then the government should put its money where its mouth is and provide the infrastructure ie, child care, education, health and a clean environment for our children to grow in.

Seeker,

The NLP, being a state party, cannot offer anything to do with families, which are a federal matter.

For that reason, I wrote the article as a private individual, not as a representative of the party. The comment that I'm a member of the NLP was added by the editor, and is a simple statement of fact.

The party's central focus is in any case not about the ownership (or keeping) of clothes (I assume you meant the shirt off your back), but the obligation to wear them in every public context.

Sylvia.