fucking useless state government

[hnpcc]

You know, this proposal to do criminal record checks on people wanting to start IVF is a complete crock of shit.

Really, Brumby? You want the best interests of the fucking child to be paramount?

Then make all pregnant women and their partners undergo criminal history checks. Doesn't matter if they're in Toorak, Tomnibuk, Traralgon or Tottenham. Then at least you can sick Social Services on to what is likely to be an actual baby, rather than a potential blastosphere.

Or would that be too intrusive? Upset your voter base perhaps? Seriously though, if the "best interests of the child" are what we're after here, surely that's the obvious way to go? Why should it matter how the child was conceived?

And really does:

"On balance, we thought that since we were making the access to IVF far more liberal . . . we needed to look at what was in the best interest of the child."

sound like backdoor discrimination against various groups to anyone else or is that just me?

Either way, they can fuck right off with that one.

edit: I have to admit I just read the headline on that article properly, and it cracked me up. It sounds disturbingly like someone's committing crimes against fertility, or involving fertility. Bad headline writer!

Edit2: This government is seriously on the way out. When's the state election again?

Edit3: Fuck, I'm still angry. Angry enough to e-mail the HeraldSun about it. Fuck.

Comments

[undergroundsea.livejournal.com]

What a waste of time and resources. I suppose the couple have to pay for this as well. I just can't imagine major criminals rocking up to get IVF for themselves when it such an expensive and emotional process. And I would imagine there is some kind of counselling requirement they have to pass already, that more than covers their eligibility?

Also, if they're a middle-class to upper class wage bracket, and this might be a major generalisation, but they're unlikely to have a recorded criminal conviction against them for any kind of domestic violence type crime. Maybe the government thinks it can get sued by a child in the future for being born into a bad environment. I just can't see how many fish like this a net is going to catch. Revenue raiser.

[vestalvagrant.livejournal.com]

This would only be 'fair' if every woman booked in to have a baby at a hospital, or at home with a midwife, had a criminal record check, and if the purpose of such was to provide whatever counselling and parenting courses could possibly turn offenders into better parents.

I'm discussing this with T and he said that if the purpose is to stop people with "sexual or serious violent offences, or had a child protection order made against them" (to quote the article) from having children who they might abuse, then it would be more thorough to castrate/sterilise everyone who has one of those things on their criminal record.

[jamaisneutral.livejournal.com]

I hear a Dutch member of parliament is working on a proposal to oblige "bad mothers" (parents who have convictions of child abuse or who have children taken into care) to take the er.. "prikpil"... the anticonception injection that lasts for three months.

[hnpcc]

Revenue raiser.

Basically. Combined with a sop to the groups who are worried about the "liberalisation" of IVF i.e. extending it to lesbians.

Mind you, I was thinking about this this morning and seriously, I'm surprised they haven't adopted the all pregnant women must get a criminal record check already. I mean seriously, how much money would they make from that?

[hnpcc]

Oh alstublieft. *eye roll*

Good to know stupidity crosses borders. And seriously, the three month injection is going to help how exactly? Unless they get a rolling court order I suppose.

[hnpcc]

It would only be fair if all births required a criminal record check, yes.

Who cares how the child was conceived, it's the actual baby they allegedly want to protect.

It's seriously the biggest crock of shit I've read recently. And hey, why stop with the parents? Grandparents, neighbours, the entire community - everyone should get a "working with children" card!

Shop at Target? Safeways? Coles? Myers? They employ 15 year olds, you need a WWC card!

Biggest revenue raiser on record. And it'd do completely fuck all to stop child abuse.

[undergroundsea.livejournal.com]

Bloody lesbians, honestly every second one is having kids these days ;P What happened to the safety of the gay bachelorhood and not having to deal with that ;) Now they have choices, they want them dammit :)

I reckon if they can monitor how many babies you have in China, then Victoria can monitor pregnant mothers. Of course, you'd have to set up border checks at albury to make sure any NSW criminals weren't trying to come settle in Ballarat and bash their kids in defiance of the law :)

[undergroundsea.livejournal.com]

Yeah, how is it going to help her stopping bashing the kids she's already got? Maybe this is a new form of "we must protect the embryo" whilst it's still a thought twinkle in the mother's eye!