TLTR, of course..... I never intended to give an impression, eg. "some men will not be able to marry (assuming women voluntarily do this more)"

Steel

"Let me repeat. Anyone who enters such a partnership would be doing so voluntarily through their own choices."

Some might enter such an arrangement voluntarily, but many too would have it imposed on them against their will.

"To deny them their voluntary choice, or tell them that they do not know what they want and impose your view onto their choices, is simply fraudulent.......or, as Bronwyn and others have shown, mainstream feminist policy."

What of the choice of women who entered into a mutual relationship in good faith, only to find many years later they were to share their partner with a younger woman? What of the longstanding choice they made? Doesn't that count for anything in your eyes?

You accuse me of attempting to deny people choice. Yet you're arguing for a system that would clearly give choice to men at the expense of the choice of women. I'm for choice as much as you are, but it has to be choice for all not just a select few.

Poncan

"All I can say to you Bronwyn is that it is people with attitudes like yours that has taken a great country severely backwards. It is partly this reason that now one million Australian nationals now live overseas. This is the attitude that is forcing 5 good Australian men to suicide every day."

I suggest you recant this pathetic accusation.

Funny, I don't see anything overtly "feminist" in Bronwyn's posts, and despite being a middle-aged rural male don't see "feminism" dominating Australian life, with the main exception being Family Court (where most of the judges are male!).

I find it laughable that Steel would think that polygamy, especially as practiced by Muslims, is in any way "voluntary". It's also sad that despite the supposed values of "equal rights for women", feminists are utterly silent on the plight of women in Islam. The loudest voices raised against Islamic practices appear to be coming from within the Islamic world itself, from women who'd not be described as "feminists" except by mysoginist Muslim males.

Polygamy is to be opposed in this country for one of many reasons, my chief objection being that the proponents are almost invariable Muslim, and frequently on benefits, with large broods. The idea of some old, fat welfare recipient like Keysar Trad starting another vast family at my and others' expense when we're already supporting one brood is too horrible to contemplate.

It appears that Mr Trad did indeed wish to take a second wife. It's interesting that his first wife objected despite Islamic sanction. Others have suggested it before, but it's worth repeating: if Mt Trad desires a second or subsequent wife he should return to the Islamic paradise whence he came. But maybe not- only rich men can have more than one wife, since there is no welfare state propping up randy bludgers.

That is such biased bull!@#$ i'm simply amazed. Your comment flys in the face of logic and basic reational thought processes.

How many forced marriages are conducted in Australia? Exactly. Islam is absolutely and categorically IRRELEVANT to polygamy as it would be in Australia. In fact it's a fallacy.

Also those comments about men are just baldly sexist.

Viking13- G’day mate. I’m a country bloke also. It is obvious that you haven’t yet been the recipient of Family Law justice in Australia. Who are administering the joke called family law? – not blokes Mate. Also have a look at all associated family services – mostly all women. Have a look at the numbers working their way through law in our universities – almost all women. This is frightening. How many men teachers do we have – these are the people educating our kids.

Bronwyn, this is feminist arrogance at its worst. To suggest that you have a fix for the women of another country who are already free, have better family and moral values, and free from feminist, sexist ideals, is beyond belief. Even our head of state here is a woman. Feminine is the word here. I hope one day they lock the gates and keep all your type, and the disease you carry, in OZ. You won’t get an apology or withdrawal out of me.

Sorry – my numbers for contributions are up for a few days.

Poncan, G'day to you. Actually, I have been involved with the Family Court and "Family Services". They are biased against men as you suggest and to which I alluded in my last post. This is one area where feminism has gone overboard- another is the issuing of AVOs to women on the flimsiest of evidence (while noting that AVOs are indeed needed by many women, and even men). This doesn't gainsay my belief that woman are the equal of men in most areas (women can be superior in others), and there are areas where the rights of women still lag, none more so than in the Muslim world, which attitudes are being imported into this country. Hence my asking what the "feminists" were doing for Muslim women.

I'm married to an Asian woman and while they can be the most wonderful people on the planet, there are times when shyness and lack of assertiveness can be trying- no that I long for the brashness and arrogance of say, an American. While Americans can hardly be accused of "hiding their light under a bushel" Asian women tend to bury the light a metre down.