Elections > Federal Election 2004 > Candidates

Gail Forder

Christian Democratic Party candidate for Curtin

Why I am standing

This is a time to take a stand and support our values for life and oppose the decline of shared values in our nation.

The recognition and support of healthy, nurturing families.

The recognition of the value and sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.

The value of promoting a holistic view of ‘health’ to include the physical, the social, the emotional, the intellectual, and the spiritual aspects of life.

The recognition and support of the importance of the marriage contract between husband and wife.

The importance of teaching the value of serving others and taking responsibility for our actions.

The increased support for drug prevention measures and the opposition to any liberalisation of drug laws.

The need to measure the impact of legislation on the well-being of the family, before laws are adopted (Family Impact Statements).

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Important issues in my electorate

Human embryo research and cloning

CDP opposes any type of research on human embryos that results in their harm or destruction. Therefore, we support the rescinding the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 and corresponding State legislation.

We oppose all human cloning and the creation of chimeras (human/animal hybrids).

Rather, we support and encourage research using adult stem cells and umbilical cord stem cells, as this does not involve the destruction of human life. Most research and all successful therapies to date have been done using adult stem cells.

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Important policy documents

Restoration of the family values.

God teaches us in the Bible that the traditional family is the God-ordained unit of our society and is the basis of a nation’s strength. Women are our strength in our nation and deserve to be recognised in their choice to stay at home to care for their young children when they choose to do so. Families should be protected and strengthened.

We believe that all Government legislation should be subjected to a Family Impact Statement which would clearly identify the effect the proposed legislation would have on families. In particular, the government must use the taxation system to promote the creation and the stability of families. Only through such measures shall parental rights and responsibilities be given greater recognition by State Governments.

In particular, legislation should be put in place to ensure that parents can regain custody of children who have left home and have become “street kids” unless it can be conclusively proven beyond doubt that the parents are unfit to care for their children (eg. in family abuse situations).

We support the work of the Family Council of Western Australia and the Australian Family Association in Western Australia and their bid to uphold the family unit, and so the fabric of society.

Higher State Government resources should be devoted to the tracking, repression and punishment of paedophiles while we will continue to be opposed to any legislation which directly or indirectly condones the display or practice of homosexuality, youth suicide and premarital sex.

We recognise the family unit with one father (male) and one mother (female) as a God given blue print and the model upon which Australia, as an essentially Christian nation, has been established. As a result Australia has prospered and is ranked among the first world countries. We believe this is directly attributable to our Nation being established on Christian foundations.

Provided we adhere to these sound principles, we believe we will continue to be a balanced and prosperous society.

Enacted legislation should also reflect support for fathers in their role as primary providers and protectors of the family unit with mothers as the primary care givers.

CDP supports strategies to restore the importance of fatherhood and turn the tide of fatherlessness in Australia. These strategies would include, for instance :

1. Resourcing developing and improving national mentoring programs for men and boys.
2. Encouraging, at the grass roots level, individuals and organisations to promote a positive image of fatherhood utilising media and community partnerships. This will require long term national coordination.
3. Reviewing all curriculum approaches/materials used in schools and teaching/training institutions to ensure that they present positive fathering images.

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Contact Details

Other Candidates

* BISHOP, Julie - LP
CAINE, Albert - HAN
HORNE, Colin - CEC
KRUSE, Bill - ALP
LUNDIE-JENKINS, Sonja - GRN
OLVER, Rob - DEM

* incumbent