Below are just a few of the emails that I have been swamped with since sending out the notice of public hearings for Wednesday and Thursday, today. Many are from women. ALL are of disgust. Where is the representation from men’s groups, you ask? Easy — they obviously didn’t want you there.

DIDS received this notice today, and it was forwarded from a friend, not from the Attorney-General’s Department. The hearings are tomorrow and Thursday in Melbourne and Sydney. We are in Coffs Harbour. We did not even know these hearings were taking place before receiving the email from a friend TODAY. Our submission has gone in.

Barry Williams, President of the Lone Fathers Association, told me today that he will give evidence to the committee in Canberra on 25th July. The Shared Parenting Council Australia will also give evidence on the same day. Dads in Distress (DIDS) was not invited to give evidence.

We have put our trust and support behind the SPCA; I trust we will not be let down. In other words, NOTHING short of’  “EQUAL” time should be accepted. Every father’s group in the country simply wants that, including the LFAA.

I would implore as many of you as possible to attend these hearings and have your say. I am disgusted that something as important as this, that concerns the future lives of our children, is dealt with so pitifully inadequately. Little information, other than the day before it’s about to happen. Who’s kidding who?

I thought this new reform was about transparency. What is transparent are dads, and their kids are once again to be sold down the river. Again I ask that every DIDS group, every men’s group, every grandparent, every individual either voices their opinion at the hearings, or at least via email to the committee, the Attorney-General and their local MP.

I quote:

The Chairman of the Committee, Peter Slipper MP, said that the Committee would be hearing from a number of individuals and organisations regarding the draft Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Bill 2005.

“The Committee wants to hear as many different viewpoints as possible within the short timeframe for this inquiry,” Mr Slipper said.

“To this end, we have organised two full days of hearings in Melbourne and Sydney with a range of witnesses for each day. Further hearings will be held in Canberra next week.”

Thanks Mr Slipper, two full days to hear us. Some of us have been waiting patiently for over two years to see our children. The biggest reform to Family Law in 30 years and we get two full days in Melbourne and Sydney, and you say the committee wants to hear as many different viewpoints as possible. Who’s kidding who? What about the other states? Or is that going to be run as covertly as this?

You know, I honestly believed this Government was fair dinkum in its reform process. I honestly believed the Bill put forward with some minor adjustments was excellent legislation. I honestly thought you were delivering dads back to their kids. But when you don’t even want to hear from the very people this affects, your constituents, well, you have lost me.

The line has been drawn, guys!

Tony Miller

* * * * * *

Dear Tony,

This is the most important amendment in Family Law affecting the lives of children and the press office sends out notification on 19th July and meeting to be held in Melbourne 20th July at 9am. I ask the questions:

  1. Why was this not advertised in all local papers?
  2. Were people or organisations invited to attend?
  3. Where are the grandparents’ groups?
  4. Why such short notice? I received press release this morning 20th July, written 19th July by Andrew Dawson.

The committee may hear from many organisations who are only speaking from their own charter, but where in the listing are the grassroots people that these organisations are speaking about and eventually this amendment will affect?

The children of Australia need both mothers and fathers in their lives where it is lawfully possible;  parenting is learned, we are not born with the knowledge; with both parents having a role in the upbringing, it will eventually give these children informed choices on parenthood, which will affect them later in life. Do we break the circle of dysfunctional families or do we continue as we are? The answer surely is we break the circle by giving the children tools to work with later in life when they become parents.

Hoping for a favourable reply.

Yours truly,
Mrs. L

* * * * * *

Dear Tony,

This is a gross injustice of parliamentary privilege.  No representation from any men’s groups — what a crock! Two years of lobbying to be pulled apart by a biased group of self-righteous females and a committee that seems to have forgotten that it takes MEN to be fathers of our children.

Keep going guys, because this sought of thing alienates men from women even more than exists based on research evidence. You give little notice with regards to the public hearings so no-one can prepare.  This has fabricated SETUP written all over it. No men’s groups were represented. What sort of debate is that?

WAKE UP BECAUSE YOU ARE LOSING VOTES AND DESTROYING OUR CHILDREN AND CREATING A LOST GENERATION OF FATHERLESS CHILDREN, NOT TO MENTION CHILDLESS FATHERS THAT DO NOT GET TO SEE THEIR CHILDREN — A MOTHER CAN NEVER BE A FATHER TO OUR KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, by the way, I see my children daily! I do not hate women either. My comments are purely directed to those policymakers that make ludicrous decisions like this one.

Colin

[Photo by Towfiqu Barbhuiya from Pexels]

About the Author: Tony Miller

Tony Miller was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the 2010 Queen's Birthday honors list 'For service to the community through the provision of support services for separated families'.

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