Cireena,

So what do you propose? You say that "The new initiative does not offer careers for single parents - it offers jobs" but wouldn't you agree that in order to establish a career, at least a job is better than sitting at home and an avenue to escape the poverty trap.

You've touched on a number of problems which could be debated for years. Firstly, the lack of spaces and affordability of Child Care. Then there is the perception (sometimes very real) that single mothers are lay-abouts. The harshness of the Centrelink "Breaching" will deprive (8 weeks loss of dole), not just the mother, but the child/ren.

There are a number of solutions that I can think of at the moment. Perhaps make parents choose their mating partners more diligently by not providing anything up-front in the first place - nature is harsh this way. Someone will think twice about having children if the taxpayer isn't paying.

Another solution would be to train some affected single mothers for childcare. Cottage Industry could sprout everywhere, but this has many problems.

A final solution up for grabs could be a return to the "Female Factories" of the 18th and 19th Centuries, which would both provide employment, housing and childcare very efficiently.

We all have choices and with these choices come responsibilities. Sometimes we don't like the options on offer as they may be hard or disagreeable. But nevertheless we all end up making choices even if the choice is to make no choice.

If the choice is to be a single parent and a further choice is to go on the dole and a further choice is to not seek further education to enhance job skills and a further choice is to not try to find a solution to the specific child care problem at hand and a further choice is to whinge about how hard it all is, then you have made your choices and why should I have to compensate you for it?

Narcissist, yes let’s take the children away from all those bad women who dare to be widowed mothers, divorced mothers or unmarried mothers and lock them up in Magdalen Asylums http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalen_Asylum ... not! I don’t see you proposing “Male Factories”.

“Perhaps make parents choose their mating partners more diligently” – what about accidental pregnancies? What if you carefully choose an excellent mating partner and marry him/her and have children and then your mating partner dies?

Pedant wrote, "what about accidental pregnancies? What if you carefully choose an excellent mating partner and marry him/her and have children and then your mating partner dies?"

Drawing a bit of long bow there, aren't you Pedant?

Tragedies they may well be, but I can't help but feel these (heart wrenching) stories are the exception rather than the rule. Governments in a democracy are supposed to rule for the majority, not the minority. Unless of course, one is a Marxist, then the majority are penalised for the sake of the oppressed minorities.

The last time I looked, the Howard government didn't profess to be Marxist in its principles - probably why they keep getting re-elected.

Ah the old cry “While the debate rages about whether to restrict child care facilities for non-working "ladies who lunch", one sector of the community whose right to child-care facilities is unarguable, continues to be ignored.”

Why?

Why should the burden of parenthood be distributed across a society which did not participate in the pleasure of the conception of the child?

Why are these “mothers” “single”? maybe because they lack the self control to participate creatively and equitably in a relationship?

Maybe they simply expect society to rally to their support despite their own contemptible disregard for their own responsibilities.

Or does Cireena Simcox expect single mothers, who have failed to plan or consider the consequences of dealing with their circumstances, to be given first take at better paid jobs which they lack the competency to perform in?

The way I see it, too many expect a handout. Pandering to this sort of moral blackmail merely encourages future generations of irresponsible breeding machines to remain permanently attached and suckling off the public teat.

Perhaps a personal example will help some of you right wing people from jumping to conclusions about mothers who are single.

I separated from my husband of 19 years in February 2005. I had been trying particularly hard for the previous three years to ensure our marriage could continue. Our children are 11 and 8 and we share the care of the children. I moved just one block away so that the disruption to them would be minimal. There were many ongoing challenges throughout our married life and it was never my intention to find myself in this position at 39. We never purchased a home and I inherited a substantial credit card debt and a very old car.

In the first 12 months, I was constantly available to provide care before and after his full time work so that he could still have 'three nights' with them and never knew from one day to the next what I would be doing the next day. It was extremely difficult for me to adjust to being a part time mother and if it was not for friends who regularly phoned, I would not be here today.

It would have been physically impossible for me to work full time as I do not have any family living in my state. I don't have people I can call on for childcare, there is no before school care and the after school care concludes at 6pm (I cannot make it back from the city in this time). I do not have anyone to help out during school holidays and curriculum days.

I am very well educated and I love learning. But most of the part time jobs that are currently available are extremely lowly paid. I do not receive child support payments or spousal maintenance from my exhusband (although he does pay some of the childrens' expenses).

Fortunately for me, I have a small business that I run from home, but I live a very meagre existence and it will take me a long time to re-establish myself.