Sunday, August 25th ...

As I write this, Marilyn has just brought me a cup of coffee in the mistaken belief that I am checking my emails and replying to them. In the past I have referred to Marilyn as 'my better half', 'the light of my life' and 'a gem'. Now Mr Abbott has given me a new term of endearment - 'a woman of calibre'. Of course he was talking about highly-paid women who want to have children, but you see my point.

Talk about foot in the mouth! Yes, yes, I know what he was trying to say and I certainly agree with him, but he has to be more careful in playing the elite card, and there is another concern behind his words: does he really believe that a woman's calibre can be measured by the amount of money she earns?

But let's look at the sentiments behind his comment. I know my heart sinks when I see the young women in our local supermarket, scruffy, smoking and foul-mouthed, and wonder at the future for their kids. A decade or more of baby bonuses and family benefits has made motherhood an attractive career choice for poorly-educated and feckless females who have no imagination beyond the next dole payment. You see them hanging around the mall in groups with their prams and screaming toddlers, filling in their days with mindless chatter. It's rare to see a father but, if you do, he looks to be about fifteen, with a bewildered stare and his jeans hanging around his bum.

Is this the future? Are these Tysons and Tyanas the citizens of our brave new world? I can see what Abbott is trying to do, encourage those at the deep end of the gene pool to breed, but doesn't he have the wit to be politically correct? He's leaving himself wide open to criticism when he speaks his mind and every explanation from his minders weakens his position.

However, I think his implied assumption that a woman's worth can be measured by her earning potential is another issue entirely. Some commentators are saying that he is focusing his attention on young female lawyers, reluctant to get off the promotion treadmill and anxious about the mortgage on the big house in Hunters Hill or Toorak. I know that the law is a preferred option for bright young women today but I wonder how many choose that profession for the chance to benefit our society or do they just see the potential dollars at the end? What about those who match their intellect with a strong desire to do good and join Medecins Sans Frontieres, or some such.

The other problem, of course, is that this a very odd thing to be his 'signature policy'. Is this the most pressing issue facing Australia today? I don't think so.