User Comments

ash m April 25, 2024

It is extremely important for stories like this to be told, however I find it a bit disappointing that the very fear and trauma that was being avoided is now also being perpetuated in another terrifying birth story. Anyone who has had birth fear and trauma knows that stories like this only perpetuate the fear and anxiety and it can cause so much stress and worry for soon-to-be mothers who are going into similar situations. Awareness is a great tool, but it can sometimes also be debilitating and not everyone has the privilege or being able to see psychologists, and attend specialised physiotherapists prior to their birth which only leads to more fear given these situations. In an age where awareness and oversharing is seen as informative and brave, there is often a darker flip side as well. Everybody is so scared of telling someone not to share their experience, that the outcome is dealing with these emotions alone without assistance. Birthing and motherhood takes a special kind of human, it's important to understand there is no perfect/seamless birth and if we focus on the trauma that's all we end up seeing and then passing the fear on to others as well. Your story is always special and for anyone who has carried a child and birthed a baby no matter how it occurred, you deserve all the recognition and support the world has to offer. xxx

ash m August 29, 2023

This is a great analysis, although it doesn't explain that a referendum would also be required if it doesn't work in order to remove it or the costs involved with a referendum. Yes it could be legislated, which means it could have already occurred, why hasn't it? I understand a big part of this argument is because then alternative Government's may remove it, anyone that knows politics understands that would be political suicide. Who is chosen to be on it, from where and how? Who makes this decision? Why won't every group/tribe have a representative?

There's also no mention of the fact that Indigenous Australians have representatives to parliament, of which there are currently (I think 9/from all sides of politics) who are indigenous and this is representative of the population percentage.
As was stated Indigenous communities know what is best for their population and people, this is absolutely correct, so given that each have state, federal, local, senate representatives how would this achieve anything more than advocating to your local politician? It seems a very expensive exercise, when the government instead could be funneling the hundreds of millions this is costing into individualized programs for the communities through consultation with them. Not to mention that there was a boy who represented indigenous Australians and it was run by baeurocrats an did more harm then good. Don't believe me, look up ATSIC!
We're all being sucked in to a political stunt of the highest accord. All that will eventuate from this exercise is the Government will be able to use this as an excuse to put the blame back onto Indigenous Australians when the gap isn't closed, or there's no progression. Don't think for one second that the voice will not be swayed by lobbyists when it comes to mining projects, or changes to legislation surrounding environmental approvals etc. 

Ash M June 6, 2023

Why can't the artworld cancel Hannah or at least try? There's a whole host of people being  retrospectively cancelled for things they said once or did once in a time when it was more culturally accepted. I don't understand why people are so vehemently focused on applying today's standards to people, and times when these considerations didn't exist. It doesn't mean what Picasso was doing, had done is right, we can acknowledge it now as being wrong but we must also acknowledge that it was a very different time and society then, which made it culturally acceptable. We have different standards now. Also if you can expect to cancel someone for something they say that differs from your opinion, why should you be immune to the same treatment. This is the largest issue with cancel culture, and wokeism. The people who are doing the majority of the cancelling don't accept that if you normalise this type of bullying (predominantly done from the keys of a message board or twitter) then you yourself must come to accept that this can also happen to you and others you care about. When did common decency and acceptance of someone's view point, even if you disagree disappear?