President's Report December 2009 - January 2010

President's Report December 2009 - January 2010

Another Year gone by and LFAA is still going strongly as a matter of fact we have just reopened Tasmania branch with a new committee and our Bundaberg Qld branch with a new committee.

We will be opening more branches in Sydney, Melbourne and one in WA very early in the new year.

Its been a hectic year but with a lot of successes. I can honestly say that regardless of all the negative reporting you may have heard about the new shared responsibility—shared care laws it is complete lies, extreme feminist lies, to try and have those laws overturned for their own greedy selves, they are putting their greed and hate before their own children.

We are hearing from good women and men and even from some children expressing their shared care situations are working fine.

Remember when shared care is given in many cases the payer’s child support to the other parent is not as much and this is what gets up some of the knockers of shared care noses.

What’s better for children to have a shared care relationship with both parents especially where both parents are good parents, we know it can’t happen in many cases where both parents live along way apart or were there is proven violence, and the violent parent has been charged and convicted.

There has been 3,500 signatures evidently collected and presented to the government to overturn the shared care laws, so I am asking you to help us respond, and you can do this by contacting your federal and state member politicians and telling them that you are voters and if they expect to receive your vote, to make sure this government does not interfere with the 2006 shared care laws.

We also need you to email them and tell them, this is serious stuff and remember its your children we are trying to protect their rights to have a shared or substantial shared relationship with you whether you are the dad or mum, and remember these laws also make sure the children’s grandparents also have contact with their grand children.

Its your call send those emails, letters, to your federal and state Politicians. If you don’t and if they do overturn them then you can only blame yourselves. Grandparents can also email and write to them. One thing politicians hate is to think they may lose your vote.

The Lone Fathers Association Australia will be hosting its National Conference on the 17th & 18th of March 2010 in the main committee room in Parliament House Canberra.

The theme of the conference will be along the lines of "A GENERATION OF FATHERLESS CHILDREN".

These dates have been secured and booked. As in past conferences, our aim is to address all aspects of Family Law, CSA issues, Father Suicide and Financial Difficulties affecting separated parents. All issues will be addressed by notable experts in their fields.

Members of Parliament responsible for the portfolios that affect all aspects of Family Issues, representatives from the Family Court of Australia, the Child Support Agency and specialist in other fields that relate to family breakdown will be invited to attend and make a presentation and be asked to answer questions from the floor.

We will be producing a special newsletter providing the conference details in January. If you would like to attend this two day conference you will have to get in early as we need to know the numbers and these conferences do book out quickly. We will try and keep the cost to a minimum. Please contact the LFAA office on (02) 6239 4650 to make a booking.

To all our hard working volunteers at National and State Branches level we thank you for your efforts and hard work you are all champions and you can believe that with your efforts you have made many a dad, mum, child, and grandparent happy and even helped save many lives. A special mention to Mathew Richards, NOOS editor and to Robert Kennedy NT both these gentlemen have some health problems but still give their all to make sure others in need are helped.

To all our affiliated associations members, the Departments Federal and State, our consulting solicitors, David Lardner, Ken Powers and the rest of their teams we liaise and work with, we thank you, and wish all of you the best for the festive season.

To all our members and their children have a great Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Barry Williams BEM, JP, CMC
President