Page 6003 - Week 18 - Thursday, 12 December 1991
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evidence, does not stand up to scientific research. There was a program recently called the Greenhouse Conspiracy shown on SBS, and shown again because so many people were interested, that put the case very well. I have a transcript if anybody would like to read it.
Children are taught at school how to get unemployment benefits. (Extension of time granted) Thank you. I feel that all too often they are not taught how to get employment. I have had occasion to teach a number of young people how to get employment. I have been successful. I have not taught that many people, but in every case where I have taught someone they have actually gone out and got a job. I actually never teach people to get any job, but to get a job that they want, and, if they are not ready for that, to work and prepare themselves for that.
Without an understanding of goals in society and life, none of us are going to get anywhere. Something we lack in Australia is a national goal. Some people have goals within Australia, but as a nation I do not believe we do. Goals are vital. Children must be given encouragement for the future. They must have an ideal. They must have a vision, if you like. Who is this supplied by? Certainly the parents, but society as a whole. Watching as much television as they do, if this does not come across on television how will they get one?
Children also are not being taught respect for authority. We all know that too well. Many people here with children would understand that far better than I. Children are placed under enormous pressures. I mentioned pornography. Instead of being told the dangers of illicit drugs, in many cases children are supplied with needles, free needles, and are told how to use drugs supposedly safely. Instead of being encouraged not to have sex, because there is no such thing as safe sex, as, increasingly, the scientific evidence shows us, instead of being told to abstain, our society in general is suggesting that it is perfectly okay to hop into bed with just about anybody and to do it often.
I feel that there are major problems that we have not addressed to do with diet, or the lack of a nutritious diet in our children's lives. The number of chemicals that are eaten by people every day could well run into thousands. I say that deliberately. It could be literally thousands of different chemicals. Who would suggest that these chemicals, or drugs if you like, have no effect on the behaviour of children? A number of people presented to our inquiry behavioural problems that came after sugar hits, as they were referred to in one area.
In my dissenting report I list a number of references. One of them is to do with hyperactivity and your child. It goes into quite good detail as to exactly how these types of drugs, colours, flavours and so on can cause problems. We all know that alcohol is a problem. Unfortunately, more of us should tell our children not to do as we say, but to
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