| Fatherhood Inquiry |
|
|
Page 1 of 4 The following was sent to me tonight. As many readers would be aware the SA Legislative Council recently passed a motion that established an inquiry into the Status of fatherhood and support services available to men in distress. The attached speech made by Andrew Evans MLC who introduced the legislation provides compelling data and the terms of reference. Any person or organization wishing to register an interest in presenting written or oral evidence to the Committee should contact the Committee Secretary Ms Noeleen Ryan at Parliament House by telephone on 08 8237 9498, fax on 08 8231 8901 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it by Friday 19 December 2003. Yuri Joakimidis National Director Joint Parenting Association http://www.jointparenting.org.au 24 SEPTEMBER 2003 The Hon. A.L. EVANS: I move: I. That a select committee of the Legislative Council be appointed to investigate and report upon— (a)The status of fathers in South Australia by reference to the current level of recognition of their role in family formation and child rearing and in the support given to them by the public and private sectors and the community in general. (b)The current difficulties facing fathers in South Australia from an economic, social, financial, legal and health perspective in the formation and maintenance of the family unit. (c)The nature and availability of government and non-government support and services for fathers in crisis in South Australia. (d)The way in which the status of fathers and the level of support given to them in times of crisis can be improved. II. That standing order 389 be so far suspended as to enable the chairperson of the committee to have a deliberative vote only. III. That this council permits the select committee to authorise the disclosure or publication, as it sees fit, of any evidences or documents presented to the committee prior to such evidence being presented to the council. IV. That standing order 396 be suspended to enable strangers to be admitted when the select committee is examining witnesses unless the committee otherwise resolves, but they shall be excluded when the committee is deliberating. Since being elected to parliament, I have been increasingly concerned that there is little importance placed on fathers and fatherhood. At the outset, I acknowledge and thank the Joint Parenting Association for its substantial contribution and tireless efforts in promoting the cause of fathers and their children in our state. Shortly after being elected, the JPA, headed by Yuri Joakimidis, spoke with me and raised some very valid concerns relating to the lack of recognition for fathers in this nation and in this state. Family First has spoken with many fathers over the past 18 months. The discussions only serve to confirm what we have already heard from many organizations. Fathers feel undervalued in our community and their status is a lot lower than what it should be. The evidence is insurmountable and undisputable. It all points to the fact that fathers are very important in the life and development of a child and to the health of the family unit as a whole. They play a crucial part in giving children a sense of identity and belonging. There is no doubt that fathers act as role models for their children. I was interested to read a speech recently by the Hon. Mark Latham, Federal Labor shadow treasurer, in which he states: “I must say as a father one of the great joys of my life was to become a dad. When I see my two and a half year old son, Oliver, follow me around the garden, if I weed, he wants to weed, if I get in the car, he wants to get in the car—you just understand instinctively that the father has such a big impact on the son.” No doubt, those of us who are fathers can relate to the comments of the Hon. Mr Latham. A child needs their mother and their father. Wade Horn, founder of the National Fatherhood Initiative, in an article entitled `The Importance of Fathers', comments: “Moms and dads do things differently. We think that moms and dads ought to be interchangeable. We know, for example, that fathers are much more likely to be physical with their kids. They're more likely to get on the floor and wrestle with them. Moms are more likely to verbally stimulate their kids, to spend more time talking with them. We also know that fathers are more likely to encourage risk-taking and moms are more likely to encourage caution. Just go to any playground in America and watch the way moms and dads interact with the kids on the jungle bar. What you'll see is dad who will say, `Keep going. Keep going. You're almost at the top.' You'll see a mom saying, `Hey, be careful. Be careful.' Now it's not that one is doing it right and the other one's doing it wrong. Kids need both.” We as a community cannot say that one role is more important than the other—both are equally as important. Women play an enormous part in verbally stimulating their children, in teaching them intimacy, in caring and nurturing. Men equally play an important role in giving confidence and meaning to a child, in helping them to come to terms with their identity and in encouraging them to take risks. Children are suffering in Australia because of the absence of fathers. According to the findings of Bruce Smyth and Anna Ferro from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, more than one million children in Australia live separately from their fathers. More than one-third of children who still see their dads never spend a night with him. The problem of fatherlessness is having a devastating impact on our children and our nation. According to research conducted by Dr Bruce Robinson, author of `Fathering from the Fast Lane', it is estimated that fatherlessness is costing Australia over $13 billion per year. |
||||||
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Syndicate
Copyright © 2005 - 2012 Stepfamily Association of South Australia.
Template Joomla designed by JoomlArt.com
