Writings Womb Watching While Rome Burns Climate change, soaring petrol and food prices, one in seven Australian children living in poverty and catastrophic levels of violence in some indigenous communities. These are just some current issues of national importance that most Australians would see as legitimate topics for debate. Sadly, the womb watchers think otherwise. It
Writings Tony Abbott Has a Poor Track Record on Respecting Medical Privacy for Teens A recent legal case in Melbourne, combined with the increased likelihood of an Abbott prime ministership, has resurrected fears about young people’s medical privacy. Seventeen-year-old “Shannon” sought support from a counsellor for issues arising from domestic violence and her mother and stepfather’s mental illness. Without Shannon’s consent
Writings Letters Page, The Australian, RU486 What woman would want to have an unsafe, illegal abortion when she could have a safe and legal one? Health minister Tony Abbott (Opinion, 6/2) claims to be worried that making RU486 available in Australia would lead to backyard miscarriages and an internet-based black market. Yet Australian history tells
Writings Leslie and 44 Other Signatories Warn That Quest for Women’s Equality Will Be Turned Back Under PM Tony Abbott The gender divide in support for Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott is significant. Media analysis views it as women supporting a woman. This sidesteps the real concerns women have about Abbott’s views and past policies. Tony Abbott wants to take divorce laws back to the 1970s, with an idea
Events 27 Jan 2010: Leslie Tells ABC Listeners That Tony Abbott Will Make His PersonalReligious Views About Women Political
Writings Put an End to Abortion Whispers As Prime Minister John Howard put it: “You can’t have a situation where every time somebody dares to express a view, they’re jumped upon from a great height and it’s said the issue is back on the agenda.” He’s right. The country needs to take a
Writings After the DNA, will Abbott get a Reality Check? Having found a lost a “son”, the Minister should be less critical of others The message from Health Minister Tony Abbott remains unequivocal: Kathleen Donnelly, the mother of his wrongly assumed son, Daniel O’Connor, is a “nice” girl. As the latest twist in the ongoing adoption reunion story broke
Writings What is so wrong with having truthful advertising? The removal of the Federal Health Minister’s veto over RU486 last February was hailed as a victory for women, and a portent of what could be accomplished if politicians and grass roots activists worked together across party lines. In the wake of the conscience vote, female politicians suggested the
Writings Baby Leave is not a Women’s Issue The politics are stupendous. Tony Abbott, a former employment minister who swore that paid maternity leave would become policy over the Howard government’s “dead body”, has a radical change of heart. Now Opposition Leader, he promises to introduce 26 weeks of paid parental leave in the first term of
Writings Does she or doesn’t she? And why does she always lie? There’s always a moment of truth. For me, it came a few weeks ago, on my return from the States. “You look” an acquaintance gushed as we watched our sons tumble across the football field. “Rest and sunshine really suits you.” Yeah, sorta. And the relaxers and fillers I
Writings Women’s Rights? Don’t Make Me Laugh It wasn’t true then, and it still isn’t now. In fact, it’s a big, fat porky pie. I’m talking about women’s rights and the scary potential that, however flaccidly they are enshrined in law now, things are about to get worse. Remember the salad days?
Writings Parents Left in the Lurch Parental leave – or maternity leave, as we tiresomely insist on thinking about it – is back in the news. Australia’s National Employment Standards now includes the right of workers to request 12 months of unpaid parental leave in addition to the year to which they are already entitled. A right
Writings Note to the PM: Politics Don’t Belong in Medicine For those who have been watching the debate about RU486, this coming Tuesday is the moment of truth. That’s because Tuesday is the day the Coalition party room meets to discuss whether they will support or oppose a promised Democrat’s amendment to the Therapeutic Goods Act that will
Writings Fighting for Virile Values - This is Tony Abbott Tony Abbott is said to be likeable. I believe it, though I’ve only met him once. Introduced by a Crikey! journalist in Parliament House Canberra, where I had gone to advocate against Abbott’s continued ministerial control over the fertility control drug RU486, the Health Minister refused to shake
In the media Rave Review of Book of Rachael from The Bookshow The Book of Rachael “captures the imagination” Publication history > Review: Leslie Cannold's The Book of RachaelThe Book Show, ABC Radio National 2011-03-22 http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2011/3170282.htm
Events 14 Mar 2011: Good Parents Send Their Kids to Private School, Don't They? The Bankwest press release was crafted to provoke controversy. “More Australians Choose a Good Time over Kids Education.” It had the same flavour as the bank’s offering when it released similar market research last year. “Aussie families prefer holidays and Botox to private school education.” Yes, the Bankwest “Social
Writings No Non-Violent Political Action Please. We’re Australian Civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights… it’s all wrong. Call in the cavalry to disrupt this perception of freedom gone wild. God damn it! First one wants freedom, then the whole damn world wants freedom. Lyrics from “B Movie” by Gil Scott-Heron. Over the long weekend just past,
In the media Leslie's Q & A Tweets "Intelligent Missives" Or so says The Big Issue. Check out their cover story on The Twitter Revolution Publication history > The Twitter RevolutionThe Big Issue 2011-03-14 http://www.streetnewsservice.org/news/2011/march/feed-273/the-twitter-revolution.aspx
Writings We Can Only Wish Teen at Heart of Dikileaks Scandal Our Best We are now entering the second year of the DikiLeaks scandal. The story began in February last year when St Kilda AFL player Sam Gilbert and other players attended a school clinic in Melbourne where they met a 16-year-old student. A month later, in another city while competing in an
Events 07 Mar 2011: Pamela Denoon Lecture Leslie to give Pamela Denoon Lecture as part of ANU Toyota Lecture Series When: Monday March 7, 8pm Where: Manning Clark Theatre, Theatre 3, Union Court, Australian National University What: Lecture on The Sleeping Dragon: The Unfinished Business of Abortion Law Reform in Australia More information: See here [http://www.
Writings Across Australia, Law Reform is Unfinished Business Australian women do not, in law, have a right to choose in any state other than the ACT, and Victoria (if they are not more than 24 weeks pregnant) and – in a more compromised fashion and only up to 20 weeks pregnancy – Western Australia. I want to be really clear
Events 06 Mar 2011: Good and Bad Religion Leslie is Centre Stage with Dr Peter Vardy and Assoc Prof Zeki Saritoprak in a St James Ethics Centre and ISRA co-production. Religion is blamed for great suffering, oppression, wars and hatred throughout history. Many horrific acts have been undertaken in the name of religion.Yet, religion at its best
Events 12 Apr 2011: an article for future publication Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content here. Some content
In the media Memo Mr Baillieu: You're Not in Favour of Discrimination http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/memo-mr-baillieu-youre-not-in-favour-of-discrimination-20110226-1b9gc.html Publication history > Memo Mr Baillieu: You're Not in Favour of DiscriminatiThe Sunday Age 2011-02-27
Writings Why Women Don’t Always Support Other Women A few months back I was a guest on a morning talk show. “Dr Cannold,” one of the hosts asked, “Why is it that older women often don’t support younger ones?” I cleared my throat but was cut short. We were out of time. Later, however, my inbox and
