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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 01 Hansard (Thursday, 12 February 2004) . . Page.. 270 ..

In August this year, a national fathering forum was held, called Strengthening and supporting Australian fathers. The forum proposed a 12-point plan to turn the tide of fatherlessness in Australia. I have copies of that if members are interested. I believe the initiative in that plan has merit and should be seriously considered by the governments of this nation. Being the father of five wonderful sons, Warwick Marsh, who is the national head of the Fatherhood Foundation, is to be commended for his dedication and commitment to the cause of fathers. He is a living testament to the value of fatherhood and the need to promote this in our community.

However, there is still a long way to go. The status of fatherhood in our society must be examined if we are to move forward. Clearly, its status is affected by government and private sector policy and attitudes. There is an obvious inequity in funding for men’s issues. I find it rather curious that there is an Office for the Status of Women, with its own minister, yet there is no similar office for men.

We have many government-funded programs across Australia, at the federal, state and territory level. Yet men’s services, and particularly services for fathers in Canberra, are sadly lacking. In the ACT, one men’s information and support centre received from the government an annual amount of around $11,000.

Mr Cornwell: How much?

MRS BURKE: $11,000, Mr Cornwell. One would be forgiven for thinking that its budget was a lot higher, given the variety of services that it provides. Its services include a telephone help line for men, counselling and financial counselling, anger management courses and counselling, an information database of appropriate agencies and resources for men, advocacy with various government departments and the promotion of various support groups for men.

The centre has told me that the need is great, that there is a huge unmet need, and members in this place often talk about unmet needs. We do not hear said about those of men, sadly. The centre cannot keep up, and it is struggling on such a shoestring budget. Most of its workers are volunteers. I have recently spoken to one of the workers, who told me that he worked 50 hours a week on an entirely voluntary basis. I would like to acknowledge and put on the record the huge effort and commitment of Barry Williams, for example, at the Lone Fathers Association. Barry has worked long and tirelessly for the cause of men, not only in the ACT but also in Australia.

It would seem that, apart from a very small sum of money to one organisation specifically set up for men, no money is targeted specifically at addressing the issues of supporting men or fathers experiencing family trauma. It has been astonishing to discover the discrepancy between services available to women in crisis and services available to men. I should make it clear that the point of any comparative analysis between men and women is only to identify properly the areas that are lacking insofar as men and fathers are concerned, without detracting in any way from the need or recognition that should be given to women.

There has no doubt been a welcomed and improved change in the role and rights of women over the last 20 to 30 years, and this motion and proposed inquiry are not about

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