Adoption law should be about protecting the best interests of a child, first and foremost! But existing adoption law puts discrimination ahead of what is best for children and excludes families headed by same-sex couples. Unlike heterosexual couples, same-sex couples cannot adopt a child together; one parent must adopt as an individual and the other partner has no legal standing as the co-parent, leaving the child in legal limbo. In other words, a child cannot be adopted by his or her parent's same-sex partner yet can be adopted by the parent's heterosexual partner.

The law should protect children's rights and support all loving families, and I am proud to have introduced a Private Member's Bill that would allow adoption for same-sex couples. I call on the Government and Opposition to support equality through my Adoption Amendment (Same Sex Couples) Bill.

How to teach your children to be "street wise"

With child abductions getting so much attention in the media at the moment, parents can get really frightened for their children. We cant put our
children in a cocoon 24/7 but we can give them some skills which can make a
big difference between staying safe and attracting the wrong kinds of attention. here are my top ten simple tips.