A Pox on Select Committees

The hearings process for Marriage Amendment Bill has highlighted that the Select Committee is not particularly objective, and their biases have predetermined the outcome.

That level of democracy continues with another bill in front of a Select Committee to consider changes to the Family Court, and Men who wish to recount their personal stories are being refused to be heard, or told to cut their personal testimonies out (according to a story in today's SST, not yet online AFAIK)

So if you are gay, and wish to make a personal testimony on how your life has been diminished by not being given equal rights to the word "marriage", you will get a lot of consideration from the Select Committee. The media has been covering such stories and the sympathy they have evoked from the Select Committee.

Yet, if you are a father fighting to maintain some level of access to your children, your personal testimony counts for nothing. Even worse, a quote from one select committee member suggests they are pre-disposed to characterizing these people as nutters. That attitude is unbecoming of a Select Committee member preparing to listen (supposedly) objectively and without bias. However, even if a "nutter" should turn up to speak, never for one moment, do they stop to consider what terrible event in their life may have possibly caused this condition.

A pox on Select Committees.



Family Court Proceedings Bill

SST Article: Not yet Online