John Madigan (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is one segment of Australian society under attack at the moment, and more so than ever before. I am speaking about the family. No matter which way you look in this place or the other, the concept of family has diminishing currency. Whether we are talking about taxation, family support, child care or education, the place of the family, and the respect it deserves, is being eroded. Personally, I deplore this trend, and I worry about its consequences. In previous years, we understood the importance of families. We made laws to protect families. We built the function of our society around families. We did this because we recognised a key fact: happy and stable families are fundamental to a happy and stable society.

But, today, that idea is being challenged. Many say this idea of family is old-fashioned and out of date. Many say biological connections are unimportant and that it takes a village to raise children. Many say the 'nuclear family' is a relic from the past. They say it needs to be done away with. They also say there is nothing special about a mother and a father raising their own children. Many say laws that benefit the family are a form of discrimination against single people. Many say we are a society of individuals, not families, and that those who choose to have children should raise them unhelped and on their own. Even 'pro-family conservatives' are now attacking the idea of the traditional family by gradually stripping them of their financial independence and autonomy. Platitudes about the importance of the family mean little if you are continually hurting families financially. The family is in need of defending. The family needs supporters and defenders. The family needs people who believe in it as a cornerstone of a healthy society. And that is why I am on my feet today.

Critics may be right when they say that the traditional family is old fashioned, but they are wrong when they use 'old fashioned' as a synonym for 'out of date'. The idea of a traditional family has been around for a long time. That is because it works. The traditional family has thrived in nearly every culture because it is the best way to ensure children have a stable environment to grow up in. Biology is important. It is vital that, where possible, children be raised by their own parents because of the strong natural bond that exists between them and their biological children. There is something special about the relationship a child has with its mother and father. To say otherwise is to deny reality.

Those who say supporting families is unfair on single people miss the point entirely. Governments do not support families because they are making arbitrary judgements on a person's relationship status. Rather, governments should support families because they have a vested interest in families succeeding. Stable families produce stable citizens and taxpayers. Payments and concessions made to families should be viewed not as handouts but as investments in our nation's future. Stripping payments from families will hurt not only the individuals involved but society as a whole.

That is why the words of many politicians ring hollow when on one hand they will boast about their family values credentials and then they promote ripping back family tax benefit payments. If you really are pro-family, you must be prepared to put your money where your mouth is. You must be prepared to support and subsidise the cost of raising a successful family. If not, you do even more damage to the family when its very concept is under attack. Many families in Australia are struggling to make ends meet. Is this government determined to make life even harder? The Prime Minister has said all Australians have to make sacrifices. Until recently, that was the song sheet he and the Treasurer had been singing from. But increasingly it seems as if it is families being asked to bear the brunt of budgetary savings measures.

Families deserve better. They have our nation's future in their hands. It is time we started showing more recognition for the role families play. Families need our support, and it is our duty to step up.