The Ghost of Lionel Murphy.

I imagine most of my North American readers will not know who Lionel Murphy was. As part of the 1972 Whitlam Labour Government, Lionel Murphy was appointed as Attorney General of Australia. This government in my opinion was the most destructive and influential force to ever hit the social fabric of Australia.

To American readers, to get an idea of the effect of the 1972 Labour government on Australia, it was like being catapulted from 1950's America to 1972 America in the space of 3 years. It was a heady time that even I, in my childhood then, can remember

One of "Lionel's" most influential "achievements" was the introduction of "no fault" divorce. An idea whose malignity has corroded the core of the Australian family. I live the reality of the consequence of this socially progressive legislation every day. Impoverished and depressed single mothers, neglected and undisciplined children, lonely men and grandparents who have a new role in being the primary carers for their children. By and large the biggest losers of "no fault" divorce are women and children, and of course you can guess who were its strongest proponents; the "caring" Left and feminists.

It was this case (It's worth following the link)that got me thinking about Lionel. The good and well mannered father getting totally screwed over by the legal system. But the the real victims here are the children who will have his capricious wife's bad behaviour as example and who not have the example of their father. The other victims will be other women. What man in his right mind will want to marry on these terms? Through the mind of every young man that reads this story will run the thought that this too could happen to me. Just as each crime makes us a little more wary of strangers, so to does each unjust divorce make us wary of marriage.

The party that is premised on class war was never going to be a good planner of social cohesion.

The hundreds of thousands of kids who are going to bed tonight with one parent only, can thank Lionel. So can the single mums who are tired, alone and struggling to make ends meet. So are the men who are drinking themselves drunk out of loneliness. Lionel's ghost haunts them all.

For what its worth, Lionel Murphy died disgraced. Not that you would guess it from his fellow travellers. He was convicted of corruption but avoided jail because of prostate cancer. Still the Christian in me thinks that justice is being done. Pity the poor children.