• "When a sick fourteen month-old baby needs her mum….or dad. No it’s not. There’s no contest. Sick baby wins!" "If sick baby wins", why was it ok for sick baby to wait 5 days? Mum requested on Monday... for leave on Thursday. And then when granted leave, mum spends the afternoon doing radio and television interviews. Seems more like sick baby wins when it's politically convenient. We've moved from misogyny and onto sick babies, this Parliament's new football. - Joe
  • Hey KF, more power to you and me and anyone who has to FIGHT for our loved ones who can't fight for themselves. One day at a time. Sometimes one hour at a time. Metoo- here's hoping you never have to walk a mile in our shoes- for a multitude of reasons, and my last word- I don't see it as "locking up" my aunt I see it as an honor to make sure she is safe, looked after and comfortable for the rest of her life Good luck to everyone, Robyn - Roby
  • Tara, this article is brilliant. Agree with every word. - Nicole Madigan
  • Santorini..... - Katherine Basher
  • Very moving. Everyone I know who had done this has been touched by it. - Jo
  • I have to disagree with a few things in this article. Mothers have never been better supported than they are now. 12 years ago I didn't get a baby bonus and I only got 16% childcare rebate. Now families get 50% rebate on childcare. 12 years ago there was no paid maternity leave option from the government and the paid maternity leave from my work was 6 weeks, now it's increased to 8 weeks. A colleague told me last year she took 8 weeks at half pay (over 16 weeks) and then got 18 weeks paid maternity leave from the government so she could take over 8 months off with pay. There is also paternity leave available now where I work which wasn't available 12 years ago. However I do agree with Tara Moss about Newstart. Giving single parents the Newstart allowance is pathetic and I challenge any politician to try and live on it for 6 months and pay a mortgage or rent and see how they survive. We also still have a long way to go on gender equality when it comes to pay scales but hopefully with more women in the workforce it will help the cause. - Not That Bad
  • Wonderful. I always ask myself will someone die if I fuck up? Will it matter in 3 months? And who fucking cares? Works for me. The swearing part is important apparently. ;-) x - Michaela C
  • Our focus on women and children and their difficulties ignores the elephant in the room. Where is the father/partner in this equation? Where is the support, financial responsibilty, active participation and general parental sharing by partners/fathers? Where are they all? Why has the focus on women and children left them invisible and unaccountable? Is it because we don't expect men to take care of their responsibilities, or is it too hard any issue to deal with? I fully acknowledge that there are many exceptions, including death of a partner, abuse and violence, and other diverse reasons, but is there no way we can broaden the debate to include the responsibilities of partners/fathers? Just a thought. - Nel Matheson
  • Can we please clarify that not all single parent families were moved from PPS to Newstart - only those who were grandfathered by the Howard government when they brought in the changes many moons ago. It was Howard and his cronies that singled out and privileged a group of single parents, allowing them to recevie more than anyone in similar circumstances who didn't benefit from the grandfathering, or never received PPS in the first place (Not everyone's marriage ends before their youngest child turns eight). While I don't believe that Newstart is sufficient to live on and raise children easily I am very much against this focus that has been placed and what is in reality a small group of people. How about fighting to put everyone on PPS or to increase Newstart rather than just a few. - Carz
  • Well spoken, Vanessay. I cringe when I hear people go on about single mothers. As if it's only the mothers who deserve the social stigmatization and the husbands, boyfriends, partners don't. And as if the two parent family is so perfect. As if no two parent family lives off the taxpayer or eats junk food. But more important than the social stigma that attaches itself to their children is the poverty that disadvantages them and how it can be transmitted to the next generation. Many single mothers are close to the bread line and that's not good enough. Do we want them on the street? How would that look? It's no better than kicking someone when they're down. Un-Australian. - Rhoda
 
2
Categories:  Books, Entertainment, Freebies

WIN A COPY OF THE ISLAND HOUSE

By The Hoopla
November 2, 2012

Posie Graeme-Evans is best known to Australians as the creator and producer of the hit series, McLeod’s Daughters.

However, when it comes to writing, Graeme-Evans has a penchant for historical rather than contemporary drama and in The Island House she has created both an archeological puzzle and a love story that spans centuries.

A snippet from Meredith Jaffe’s review:

By 800AD, the island of Findnar is home to a small Christian community of nuns and monks trying to set up a religious centre.

Before them, the local Picts visited the island to source valuable foods and built a circle of stones where they worshipped the Sun god Cruach perform their religious ceremonies. Now the two peoples live in uncomfortable proximity but they are both united by their fear of the raiding Viking armies, whose sackings of local villages means years of poverty and rebuilding for those affected.

You can read the full review HERE.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster, we’ve got 10 copies of The Island House to give away.

To enter, fill out the form below and answer the following question in 25 words or less:

Sense of belonging has a profound affect on how we feel about ourselves. How does where you live and the community you live in make you feel about yourself?

Good luck!

 

PLEASE NOTE THIS PROMOTION HAS NOW CLOSED.

 

 

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2 Responses to this article

  1. JanelleC68 December 12, 2012 Reply
     
     

    I won one!!! Thanks Hoopla & Simon & Schuster. I had no idea until the courier brought it today. Lucky me!! :)

     
  2. Marg December 12, 2012 Reply
     
     

    Same thing as above. A book in a bag with a with compliments slip from Simon & Schuster. looking forward to a good read. Thanks very much

     

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Comments

  • Joe: "When a sick fourteen month-old baby needs her mum….or dad. No it’s not. There’s no contest. Sick baby wins!" "...

    Reply|Read all

  • Roby: Hey KF, more power to you and me and anyone who has to FIGHT for our loved ones who can't fight for themselves. One day...

    Reply|Read all

  • Nicole Madigan: Tara, this article is brilliant. Agree with every word.

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  • Katherine Basher: Santorini.....

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