A 'pro-family' government that is not doing its job

That would certainly explain a lot about the mess of the Family Payments system, the run-away costs of medical care and education and an increasingly hostile industrial relations environment. Somehow, though, I don’t think the Prime Minister would make such an admission.

While it is impossible in the absence of a concrete proposal to know what the role of a Family Impact Statement is on policy-making, I would make two points.

Firstly, if the Government is not already considering the impact of its legislation on families (and individuals) it is simply not doing its job.

Secondly, any consideration of the effects of legislation on families has to take into account the diversity of Australian families. Family Impact Statements shouldn’t be a de facto way of promoting or privileging one family model over others.

Family policy needs to accept and support change and diversity - not ignore or punish it.