Saying sorry on the 13th February 2008 is an historical moment in time for those that were taken from their mothers and for the mothers who lived with a loss that many do not understand.

Throughout Australia today, Australians came together to listen to an apology made to the Stolen Generation and their families and for those that understood why today was important realised that saying sorry is not about compensation, it’s not about money, it’s not about claiming land rights… it is saying sorry to heal the wrongs of past governments and councils that allowed aboriginal babes to be taken from their mothers.

The full apology…
“I give notice that, at the next sitting, I will move:

That today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations - this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.
And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.”
A historic day for the nation – Australia Says Sorry

It was great to see that Kevin Rudd’s vision for support will see all pregnant women screened before giving birth and after when the baby is approximately 2 months old.

Knowing that all new mums will have that support is comforting. What will make this package more comforting is to ensure no new mum is discriminated against. All new mums include single women, women who have private cover and women who can’t afford or who don’t have private cover.

This is definitely a plus for the health of new mums and their babies and families. A large number of women do suffer from depression during their pregancy or after the birth and knowing they have the support is great comfort to them and to everyone close to them.

I remember her interviews and they were heart wrenching but at the same time she was determined to make changes so that others didn’t suffer like she did.

You can read more about Clare Oliver’s battle with cancer and her will to help others understand at the ABC News Website and you can see her see her extended interview from the 7:30 Report…

We all know that burgers and chips and other fatty fast foods aren’t good for us and I’m sure a lot of us were quite happy to see the fast food chains introduce their healthy alternatives. Not only could we still grab a fast meal but it was good for us wasn’t it?

Well maybe it wasn’t good for us after all. Researchers in Germany have found that the so-called healthy alternatives offered by fast food chains can have similar effects to other meals they serve.

You can read the full story here

Competition in the lower end of small car market is really hot at the moment and you should be able score a good deal. But what if size is important but price point isn’t? What if you would like to add some European flare to your driving … And still grab a bargain?

Well if that’s what you want then meet the Citroen C3.

It’s a small car that really stands out in a crowd. This fine Frenchman certainly isn’t cheap but at the moment Citroen Australia is offering some great drive-away deals that make it very tempting.

Of course as the article explained women are overlooked because most people would associate homeless people as men of varying ages. But no one seems to think that a woman or a young girl could possibly live on the streets.

Knowing of young girls that do, I believe it is very true and it highlights the need for more accommodation to be organised through the governments to accommodate the needy.

Sure a lot of us will say that it is the fault of their own that that happens, but let me point out that some do not have an option. Some people are lucky to have a home to go home to, they have a roof over their heads and they don’t have to rely on others to live.

Everyone has noticed the growing need for housing for everyone, but it’s not the rich that go without, they can afford to live their lives the way they want to, while others are not so lucky. Some home life that was reasonable is no more through possibly some fault of their own but in the majority of cases, the breakdown of a family life, the lack of job, the inability to take on employment for one reason or an other or the inability to find affordable accommodation are some of the reasons why people … including women live on the streets.

I know of some girls who have left home because they couldn’t conform to their parent’s way of life and feeling like they don’t belong so they leave that home and live on the streets because they have no where else to go.

It appears that homelessness is becoming a crisis that all governments should be aware of and more funding should be available to help those that cannot help themselves. Mission Australia has provided over the last year beds for about 600 homeless women, but when more than 1000 women have been turned away from one crisis accommodation centre in the inner Sydney suburb of Kings Cross… it makes you wonder how many women have no where to go each year across Australia.

When girls have to live on the streets because they feel they have nowhere to go, no family to turn to or prefer to live their life in the streets there is a major problem that needs help from all governments throughout Australia. The lack of facilities to help combat this issue is truly amazing and until you know someone who has had to endure life on the streets for one reason or another, you will never truly understand why or how it happens.

I know I will never understand why….

Toni Livesey

Yes, I left my job in QLD to look for work in NSW, with intentions of going back if I failed to find suitable work. That was before I found out about my pregnancy. I did have confidence that with 19 months bar work experience, my RSA and RCG that I was sure to get something.

I decided not to go back to QLD as there are better facilities here in Newcastle and a much better range of friends that are helping me through this.

Not long after notifying Centrelink of my pregnancy, they handed me a job diary to record 10 jobs per fortnight for 6 fortnights. I am now up to fortnight 5 and I have had no luck. Only a couple of times I have been called back in to see the employer but still nothing.

I really don’t think it is fair that most employers won’t employ pregnant women. I do understand however that you are restricted during pregnancy of what you can do and with only four to five months work in you, are you reliable? How many sick days and hospital trips will you be making?

I didn’t fall pregnant for the money; or to stay out of the workforce, it was accidental but why should any of that matter. I am sure that if a woman falls pregnant and has worked a while before that and can still work at that particular place then why can’t we find jobs just as easy.

I understand why pregnancy has made it hard for me to find work but until I am 7 ½ months Centrelink have no idea and I don’t think they really care.

Terrie

It makes you wonder sometimes why prenatal discussion is not discussed as openly as postpartum depression and from experience, I believe it is because we are or were told that it is just our hormones playing up while we are pregnant.

In the past 6 months I have now heard of two young women who are suffering from prenatal depression and if caught early, it can be treated and help is there. Ladies, girls, if you feel you are suffering from prenatal depression, if you cry at the drop of a hat or for no reason or you are feeling down, then please talk to someone.

Talk to your midwife or your doctor and let them know how you are feeling. Prenatal depression is a silent form of depression that may affect and have an impact on women and their developing baby / fetus.

Some of the symptoms include, feeling emotional, sluggishness, foggy thinking, irritability and in some women, food cravings. Many women will blame the emotional changes on pregnancy hormones as I mentioned before.

I’ve given birth to 6 live babies and lost a baby through miscarriage and for each pregnancy, the emotions were certainly there. My youngest was born almost 20 years ago and no one ever mentioned prenatal depression during that time. Instead I had to live with those emotions and the feelings of depression.

If you feel you need help, please speak to your support person through your pregnancy. Speak to your doctor, obstetrician or midwife. Help is available for you.

BeyondBlue.org is another place to seek the help you need.

Toni Livesey

Some of those factors are:

- Many mums can’t find a job once they decide to go back to work.

- A lot of mums find it hard leaving their babies and children with others when they go back into the workforce.

- The hours don’t suit and they prefer to work only while their children are at school, allowing them to spend quality time with them.

- Some mums found a niche service that they can offer others and can provide that service online and from home and at the same time they are keeping overheads down.

- Some businesses will set new mums up at home so they are based as a work at home mum.

- Working their own hours to fit in with their family lifestyle is beneficial for a lot of mums.
There are many types of work that women or work from home mums perform and they can include – accountancy, online services for mums and children, selling items on eBay, marketing and sales, graphic design and bookkeeping.

Some women take their hobbies and build them into a business and sell their goods at the markets on a weekend or they may even set up a blog and display their hobbies online. If you need a site built, either a blog or a small basic website or one that will allow you to use an online shopping cart with PayPal, Copy Text Online can help you. With no overheads our fees are affordable for home users, hobbyists and small businesses.

Over the next few weeks, I will provide some information to cover the basics of setting up your own business from home.

Toni

If I had have found out about my pregnancy before I moved from Queensland and a perfectly good job, I probably would have stayed there until later on in the year.

It is very difficult to find work when you are 3 ½ months pregnant.

I moved after having worked 19 months as a bar attendant in QLD, with plenty of confidence that it would be easy to get a job back home in NSW. So far I have been wrong. Perhaps if I wasn’t pregnant, I might have had better luck.

What employer really wants to hire a 23 year old that can only work for four to five months, and have to take days off for doctor visits? Of course there may even be sick days that you can’t escape. You can’t hide the pregnancy from the employer; it gets a bit hard to hide your tummy changing after a few months.

My job network providers along with other people have told me to do just that. Hide it. Don’t tell the employer. They will never know. I have already started to expand around the belly, how will no one know?

What if I don’t say anything and something happens to my unborn child due to a work related accident? What happens if they find out any way? Will I get fired? Will they understand why I said nothing? There are too many questions and too many risks. I don’t know and I don’t want to know because I want to be honest and if employers don’t like that then they are the one’s that are missing out on good people who really want to work.

I still have the option of moving back to QLD and my old job, but the facilities for first born babes are not as readily available as established places and the hospital and care facilities here are much closer and easier for me to get to. And I am sure that my partner wouldn’t want me to move away, not now.

I have a better support group where I live in NSW, which has made things much easier so far.

If only Centrelink or the Government understood the difficulties of finding work whilst being pregnant and knowing that there are not too many employers, no matter what they say, who are willing to employ pregnant women knowing they will only be there for a short time.

Terrie