The federal Coalition government is attacking single-parent families from several directions at once. Welfare "reforms" will force single mothers to find paid work, despite their child-raising responsibilities. The proposed changes to family law will expose women and children to a higher risk of violence. The changes to child support payments will cost single parents money. On top of these, the threats to abortion access and the proposed industrial relations reforms are issues of concern to single mothers.
Single mothers are busy raising children, volunteering to help with children's reading and sports activities, cleaning, shopping for bargain food and used clothing, trying to find bulk-billing doctors, and searching madly for the piece of felt, two-litre plastic bottle and three Paddlepop sticks that we've just been told are needed for a school project. Then there's driving to school, child care and then work or study, and at the end of the day, coming home to the night shift — dinner, homework, stories, baths, playing, paying bills, and everything else that has to be done, all without the help and support of a second adult.
At the end of the day, single mums are more likely to fall in an exhausted heap than take up political activity in support of their rights. But not all of us and not all of the time.
On June 17, Elspeth McInnes, the convenor of the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children had an article published in the Canberra Times, and another in Online Opinion.
Single mums all over Australia started writing to the pollies. One single mum produced a sample letter for others to read and Kay Patterson, Kay Hull, Jeannie Ferris, Tanya Plibersek, Kim Beazley and John Howard all got letters.
Then on June 19, the Victorian Council of Single Mothers and their Children (CSMC) held a rally at the Victorian state library. One-hundred people gathered, chanting "Until our kids are big and grown, we won't leave them home alone!" Passers-by expressed their support for single mothers and disgust at PM John Howard's government by joining in.
On June 22, a community meeting was held in Footscray, which drew together the union and welfare campaigns. A representative from the Victorian CSMC addressed the meeting, along with Michele O'Neil from the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union and lawyer Rob Stary. These meetings are being repeated across Melbourne.
Also on June 22, two single mothers dropped their kids off at a Wiggles show and then quickly infiltrated the anti-women Lone Fathers Association conference at Parliament House in Canberra. They placed an article putting forward the position of single mothers on every chair, while the conference participants were out for morning tea.
That night, one of those same single mums dressed up in clothes from the op shop and armed with her article, slipped into the charity ball. She managed to ambush both John and Janette Howard and present them with copies.
It's no picnic being a single mum, but there's no way we'll give up on our kids and we won't just sit back and take Howard's attacks!
Phone Linda on 0423 764 896 or Jac on (08) 8226 2505 for information about a campaign to defend single mothers and their children near you.
Linda Seaborn
[Linda Seaborn is a member of the Socialist Alliance, and the convenor of the Tasmanian Council of Single Mothers and their Children.]
From Green Left Weekly, July 6, 2005.
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