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news & events current
printversion & news archives 2004-2010
09 February 2010
PerthNow
Men's groups meet to defend shared parenting
MEN'S advocacy groups are joining forces to defend shared parenting laws, which they say are under threat after the release of a government-commissioned report. Lone Father's Association president Barry Williams is mobilising with other men's support groups. They have a meeting planned in Canberra this week.
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06 February 2010
The Australian
Misconceptions that are depriving children of their fathers
Two stories last week resonated with a familiar timbre, that of shrill
feminists yelling for men's blood. The first was the hysterical reaction
to Tony Abbott's Women's Weekly interview in which he expressed his
opinion on what is both a father's right and duty; the moral education of
his children. The second story has a similar thread running through it, with much graver
implications. It concerns shared parenting by separated or divorced
couples, which was a basis for family law reforms in 2006. According to
some commentators, it is a failed experiment.
Read more
05 February 2010
The Singleton Argus
Dads in Distress
The group has members who may be going through various stages of an issue,
and Gerard said they are all welcome and can all benefit from being a part
of the group.
Read more
03 February 2010
Jordans - Family Law Newswatch (UK)
How children and young people feel about family breakdown
A report by Cafcass on how children and young people feel about going
through divorce and separation has revealed almost half are worried their
financial situation.
Read more
30 January 2010
The Sydney Morning Herald
Fathers vow to unite and fight family law reversal
Fathers' groups have vowed to fight any attempt to roll back shared-care
provisions in family law with plans to form a coalition to lobby the Senate
and marginal electorates.
Read more
29 January 2010
On Line Opinion
The vilification of fatherhood
From a fatherhood point of view it's been an interesting week... On Wednesday of this week I noticed a story about our new Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott. The story sprang out of a Women's Weekly interview with him. The headline read, "Abbott confirms women's worst fears"...
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29 January 2010
The Australian
Dads the winners under shared parenting: lawyers
A majority of family court lawyers believe shared parenting laws introduced
by the Howard government in 2006 favour fathers over mothers and parents
over children.
Read more
29 January 2010
The Australian
Joint parenting must stay: men's rights group
Men's rights groups will fight any planned rollback of the shared parenting
laws, saying reports released yesterday prove an overwhelming majority of
Australians support the right of children to know both their parents after
divorce.
Read more
29 January 2010
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Dads face tough fight for kids under proposed new custody laws
Separated fathers could find it harder to secure 50-50 custody of their
children, and women should be more easily able to raise concerns about
violence, under proposed changes to the nation's custody laws.
Read more
29 January 2010
The Australian
Call to end shared custody: Chisholm report
A report commissioned by the Rudd government recommends major changes to the controversial shared parenting law introduced by former prime minister John Howard, saying it has put women and children at risk. The report by retired Family Court judge Richard Chisholm says the law has also set fathers up to believe they are entitled to a 50-50 time split with their children after divorce, when this was never the parliament's intention, nor part of the law.
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29 January 2010
The Australian
Parenting, not politics
The government needs to be cautious on Family Law
Attorney-General Robert McClelland says he wants community debate on
recommendations that would wind back shared parenting laws. Let's hope he
is prepared to truly listen up. This is an issue demanding careful
assessment based on data - and broad community wishes - rather than any
abrupt return to past practices that minimise the role of separated and
divorced fathers in the care of their children.
Read more
29 January 2010
The Age (Melbourne)
Custody law reform called for
Sweeping changes to custody laws have fostered wrong assumptions and
prompted parents to focus on their rights ahead of children's needs,
reviews of shared parenting laws have found.
Read more
29 January 2010
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Children 'at risk' in shared parenting
The practice of splitting child custody equally between divorced parents is being questioned after a major study found one in five parents in the arrangement believed it was not working. An estimated 90,000 Australian children are in shared-care arrangements under a policy introduced by the Howard government with the support of fathers' rights groups.
Read more
28 January 2010
ABC Radio - PM
Family law reforms disadvantage children from violent families
SHANE MCLEOD: Recent changes made to family law have been found to negatively affect children from violent and abusive backgrounds. But the Federal Government has put it down to a misunderstanding of the 2006 reforms and says it's reluctant to change them. Instead it's hoping an education campaign can clear up any confusion about what the changes were meant to do. George Roberts reports.
Read more
28 January 2010
The Age (Melbourne)
Family violence report takes aim at 'troublesome' shared parenting laws
Custody laws should make it clearer that separated fathers are not entitled
to a 50-50 time split with their children, after the sweeping reforms of
2006 led parents to focus more on their rights instead of their children's
needs. Three major reviews of shared parenting laws have urged dramatic changes to
the family law system, including a major expansion of the definition of
family violence to include economic and emotional abuse, and automatic
violence risk assessments in all parenting court cases.
Read more
28 January 2010
ABC News
Shared parenting laws 'misinterpreted'
A review of recent changes made to family law has found the reforms have negatively affected children from violent and abusive backgrounds. The Federal Government's review of the 2006 reforms outlined significant concerns, finding that children from families with safety concerns were let down badly by the system, and of those, children in shared care came out the worst.
Read more
28 January 2010
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
ROBERT McCLELLAND MP
RELEASE OF FAMILY LAW REVIEWS
Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, today released key reports examining the operation of the family law system and how the family law courts deal with cases involving family violence. The reports provide a comprehensive and objective analysis of the family law system against the aim of providing fair and sustainable solutions for families, while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children, Mr McClelland said.
Read more
17 January 2010
Men's Rights Agency
Australia: Will the roll-back of shared parenting affect your vote?
Are you happy with what is likely to happen to shared parenting?
This short survey has been developed to gauge whether the Australian Federal Labor Government is likely to lose your vote as a result of its current reviews of the Family Law Act.
Read more
13 January 2010
The Australian
Change to child custody laws will make access harder for fathers
One of the most contentious areas of the law has been the way it has been interpreted in cases where the children are under the age of two. The Rudd government is preparing changes to the controversial shared parenting laws, to make it harder for separated fathers to argue for a 50-50 time split if their children are under the age of two.
Read more
11 January 2010
The Age (Melbourne)
Mid-age blokes home alone
From sad-sack widows to young and sexy city dwellers, the image of people
who live alone has flip-flopped over the years. But new data shows the
face of the solo householder is increasingly middle-aged and male.
Read more
10 January 2010
Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Fury at ruling in custody battle
A mother found by the Family Court to be violent, untruthful, lacking moral values and responsible for the psychological and emotional abuse of her children has been given custody of them. The father, deemed "principled" and with "much to offer his children", has been effectively banned from seeing his daughters.
Read more
10 January 2010
Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Family law must be fair
Family law is a vexed and emotionally charged area. It has been a source
of controversy and review for decades - ever since 1975 when Lionel Murphy
enacted the Family Law Act, which enshrined no-fault divorces.
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