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From: Family Responsibilities

Sent: Thursday, 15 December 2005 2:27 PM

To: Family Responsibilities

Subject: FW: Feedback - Pru Goward's National Press Club Address 9/2/05

-----Original Message-----

From: A & K Pearson

Sent: Wednesday, 9 February 2005 9:00 PM

To: Paffairs

Subject: Feedback - Pru Goward's National Press Club Address 9/2/05

I was impressed by Pru Goward's determination to bring the obvious to the surface, with the launch of her "Family & Work Conversation".

Too bad most of the questions from the media were unrelated with the abortion debate. Never mind - back to the main address.

Australians have become a very self-absorbed lot, only really caring about status and money. It is this mentality that is now seeing us all end in a big ditch which we successfully dug for ourselves.

Change can only come with a total mind shift in how we look at what is important to us. I do believe the "baby boomers" have a lot to answer to.

Most it seems, had wonderfully simple and loving childhoods, but now they have this mindset that they want their own children (all 1.75 of them) to have everything they never had. What would that be? Cars, apartments, skiing holidays, the best private schools and universities, the best of everything by the ripe old age of 21! They do this because their kids seem so unhappy. Maybe if their parents were still together, working less hours, spending less money on them and taking pleasure in the simple things in life, wrapping them in love and laughter instead, all would start to change.

The children would have some goals to strive for, part-time work while they're at uni (all adds to the fun), saving for their first car, doing that paper run, etc. But now, life is offered on a silver platter for many and it shows in their attitude.

It is the mentality of today's society - must have everything and must have it now. But when you scratch the surface, most of these families are cracking under the pressures of working longer hours to pay their ever increasing debt, and there will always be crunch-time in one's life when we're tripped up to reconsider the direction of our lives. The banks and government have successfully got the majority of the nation on the debt-treadmill - it's what keeps the economy going. It is only when you can get off - that you realise there's no need to jump through hoops for an employer - whether you're a woman or not.

Forget about companies becoming too family-friendly. The only thing on their mind is how much money they can make for the share-holders.

Families continue to split with the misconception that their lives will become easier without the constant bickering over money and stress. But it is never easier and all suffer.

There are no more communities. If we had strong communities (and not those the real estate agents try to flog us), we would be so much better off.

Communities where we care for each other instead of only caring about ourselves. This is the mind shift that needs to change. No amount of Government assistance with tax breaks or extra child care will cut it. It has always and will always, come back to the strength of the family and the community. If we don't have that, what do we have? All we need to do is to look around and our question has been answered. Mental illness at an all time high, most Australians are on some sort of drug, whether it be legal or otherwise.

We're catching up to the USA's unenviable divorce rate (50% in the States), we're dumping our parents into old-aged homes where we too will be dumped by our own children. So, one works their whole lives to end up in such a place? All we need to do is to look at the bigger picture and everything would fall into place. The only people who will hold our hand on our death bed would be family (we hope) or close friends. Not the CEO of the company we have bent over backwards for. Not the shareholders. Not the Government, and definitely not the banks.

It's a never-ending cycle which could go on forever. I'm a 44 year old mother of two young daughters who is happily married to her "first" husband.

I worked solidly for 20 years in demanding jobs before I quit after realising the "death bed" scenario. We finally woke up and re-organised our priorities. The children love me being at home - to be there for them. I remember being at high-school and coming home to an empty house because my mother rejoined the workforce. I hated it, and so did she. My girls are well-adjusted, loving and caring and none of us are on any medication!

People are starting to downshift. I only wish it would becoming a sweeping trend then we would truly see a change for the better in our society.

Regards

Kay Pearson

Mandurah - Western Australia.