The Senate Inquiry into the Family Law Amendment Bill (1) has been inundated with submissions from disaffected fathers frustrated with a system that effectively denies children access to decent and loving fathers.

With new research (2) highlighting the benefits to children of substantial contact time with fathers, the question has to be asked, 'why are single mothers groups so resistant to a fairer system that will benefit the health and welfare of children?'

Currently, over 85% of all the submissions received by the Senate Inquiry have been from fathers or equal parenting advocates decrying a broken system that has promoted the rights of single mothers ahead of the best interests of children. Strikingly, not one submission against the currently proposed changes has been made from a single individual mother.

Fathers, second wives and grand-parents are however demanding a fairer system in family law that accepts the equally important role of both mothers and fathers to a child's welfare and upbringing. Only a level playing field, achieved through a rebuttable presumption of equal parenting time, to be used only as a starting point for child custody considerations, can achieve a child-focussed result that avoids the self-serving interests of vested groups.

Single mothers groups have again unsuprisingly relied upon domestic violence fears to stymie any changes to the current system. However, with recent research highlighting the equal perpetration of domestic violence by both men and women (2), and with the disturbing statistics showing that child abuse is overwhelmingly carried out in single mother households, this excuse against equal parenting initiatives is starting to wear thin!

With over 80% of Australians in support of equal parenting time in the event of separation (2), and with the majority of politicians in both houses indicating that they would vote for a rebuttable presumption of equal parenting time were it made an amendment to the current act (2), why is it then not part of the government's current family law amendments?

The government should be commended for the courageous changes it proposes to make to the Family Law Act, but as the Inquiry submissions quite clearly evidence, the majority of fathers feel hard done by because without a rebuttable presumption of equal parenting time as a starting point, these changes will do very little on their own to stem the culture of fatherlessness that is overtaking this country.

Fathers4Equality has accepted an invitation by the Senate to appear in front of the Inquiry at the Family Law Amendments public hearing on Friday, 3rd March. (3)

(1) Submissions received from the ' Inquiry into the provisions of the Family Law Amendment'
http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/legcon_ctte/family_law/submissions/sublist.htm

(2) "Parents Are Forever" - Submission to the 'Inquiry into the provisions of the Family Law Amendment' from Fathers4Equality
http://www.fathers4equality-australia.org

(3) Public hearing into the 'provisions of the Family Law Amendment'
http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/legcon_ctte/family_law/hearings/index.htm

Ash Patil
president@[NO SPAM]fathers4equality-australia.org
PO Box 57, THIRROUL, NSW. 2515