A Symeonakis
Sometimes it is best to admit ones defeat and throw the towl in, however, if you feel so strongly about your quest then may I suggest that you raise as many supporters that you can then you can all pay pay into a maternity fund to support all new mothers and put your minds at rest while leaving the rest of us alone.

Most of us just don't want it - GET IT!

In my industry we are already faced with having to pay females 94% of a males wage, these are unqualified females who are not allowed to use a knife, saw, mincer or any other peice of equipment and, to now add this additional burdon on my fellow employers would be like signing a death warrent as far as future employment prospects go for female employees.

Remember, there is nothing stopping you from supporting the 'bleeding hearts club'. Just don't ask me to assist as I feel there are far more needy recipients of my hard earned taxes.

rehctub
" leaving the rest of us alone" The truth is that there are not many people who agree with you about maternity, paternity, parental leave.
I believe within 12 months we will have the paid maternity, paternity, parental leave, it is good for mothers, good for children, GOOD FOR AUSTRALIA. I am sure that sooner or later you will find how useful is the paid maternity leave etc. at begin many people worry from any changes but soon they discover how good and useful they are. If it is good for all the other countries it will be good for Australia too. Do not worry, we are the last country in the world without it. In USA many States pay maternity leave.
"Most of us just don't want it - GET IT! " How many are you? 1%, 2% or 3% of Australian population? We fully respect and protect your rights to disagree with the mass majority of Australians. That's the beauty of democracy, one day powerful prime minister and next day even not MP!
My best wishes for success on your business!
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Celivia
" your own business" do not misunderstand me! I do not care for business for the business at all. I could live on a tree or in a cave, I am very simple person and the money do not say many things to me.
BUT
1 I am 57 years old what could happen if I lose my job? I can not find an other one, this could be a disaster for me I need to create a job for me a safety net.
2. My income is low I must improve it, my only way is to start some kind of my own business.
3. I want to be an active citizen but who could listen to an 15 years offsider, to a low income employee? If I want my activities to have some results I mast improve my professional and financial position.
4. I do not know if you understand me but in really I am not so soft as I seem, I am hard in my goals and ideas! I need more free time and better health conditions for my activities. I need my own business!
5. My final battle will not be for my business but for my ideas. If I have to die for them I WILL DO, may be for migrants rights.
About the OH&S do not worry I will know about it when the time come!
Now I am working as employee and I try to establish my own business, when I say do not trust me I do not mean I am totally useless!
regards
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Nicky,
That must’ve been very rewarding work. It's a real shame on the Howard government for scrapping that program.
This is an example of the positive encouragements we need! People need to feel wanted and need meaningful work and children need an outlook that inspires and motivates them. The wrong role models, day after day, year after year, can be terribly depressing and demotivating for any child.
I think that there needs to be a change in attitude towards the caring professions including looking after children, who are very important because they are our next generations.

Antonios,
Like Col, you can be proud of your kids. Seems like you did a good job raising them.
And it’s wonderful that you have your ideas and goals together for your business. I understand your purpose for starting a business and that’s why I wish you much success with all your plans including your business.

Col
The majority of people, despite their differences in every facet of life, have raised wonderful, responsible children.

To be able to raise healthy, responsible and loving children, families should have at least access to the basics: food, shelter, clothing, education, and medical care. All children need is at least the basic needs and for their parents to give them attention, love and care, to listen to them, to understand them, and to support them emotionally.
A child who has been deprived of basic needs, love and care, role models, will have low self esteem and won’t be confident and trusting of others enough to even attempt to fit into a classroom, a club, or a job.

“When married, generally with joint bank accounts and both names on the mortgage, BOTH parents are equally affected by having a child.”
Not really- the woman misses out on future income, superannuation, while she is dependent on the income of her husband. The mother loses her financial independence while the father does not. In many households, dual income is necessary to be able to pay all the bills.

Continued

Paid maternity leave keeps women linked to the workforce and doesn’t force women to become dependent on their husband’s income. Maternity leave doesn’t force men to become sole breadwinners, and last but not least, it gives babies a good start in life.

To say ‘if you cannot afford children, do not have them” is too simple.
Maternity leave is not only about affordability; it is also about balancing inequalities between the one who gives birth and the one who does not.
Women should be able to take time out to give birth and spend time with their baby to establish breastfeeding and bonding without having to stress over losing a job or not being able to contribute to the household.

To say ’if you can’t afford children, don’t have them’ would be a better and fairer point if:
* Our school curriculum included compulsory, comprehensive and explicit sex education.
* Contraception was free of charge (at least for students and other low incomers).
* Abortion was legal until a reasonable cut-off, and not only permitted if a doctor decides that it would damage a woman’s health.
* Pregnant women had no feelings towards their foetus. I had a strong instinctive urge to protect my foetuses so I can imagine forced abortion would traumatise a woman.

Children are our future; therefore we can invest in the future if we invest in children.
Something could be attached to paid leave, e.g. do a free parenting course to be able to qualify for paid parental leave. That way, parents will be more professional carers and will likely produce more responsible citizens.
Something could be attached to family payments too, like regular recertifications of parenting courses, similar to how we recert for 1st Aid.
At the moment people get paid for doing nothing, even if they neglect the needs of their child. At least, if they get paid from our taxes, let them get paid for being more qualified carers to look after our next generation.
Parenting is the most important human work and should be valued more.

“tsunami in Indonesian we did not care for specific individuals but for various societies”

Aid went to the individuals.

First feed and attended to the medical needs of those individuals, bury the dead individuals and help individual families replace fishing boats etc.

The societal benefit is dispensed through helping individuals. Seems to me someone has got it “arse about face” and it is not me.

As for New Orleans, I think there were a catalogue of failures across different US administrations, primarily of course, at the state level. Bush was never a part of Louisiana state government. Again more “arse about face”

“ALQUEDA destroyed the New York Center they did not kick individuals,”
Al Qeada wanted to bring “War” to the US people.
They indiscriminately attacked the (individual) people of USA with the intent of undermining their resolve. Same too IRA attacks in London, (I was there, working in Bond St, just off Oxford St) designed to alter the feelings of the ordinary Londoners, as individuals.

“YOU DO NOT CARE AT ALL FOR THE PEOPLE”
no different to “all those people” care about me, as an individual.

“we voted the ALP”
I voted against them and I was not alone.

“IF THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE LIKE YOU THEN SOONER OR LATER OUR SOCIETY COULD CONVERTED TO A JUNGLE.”

It has been values like mine which have innovated and created the wealth which people like you think that just because you can breathe, you are entitled to.

If you want what I have, you work for it like I have done.

I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I pay taxes and have rights.

First right is I am entitled to think for myself and act upon those thoughts.

That someone like you would seek to deny me the reward for my efforts and steal through excessive taxes for maternity leave etc, from me because you are too ignorant or idle to work as effectively or profitably as me, shows what a selfish bastard you really are.

I shake hands with individuals and never met a “society”.