Sample Letters to choose from when writing to your Federal Member of Parliament – 3 sample letters to mix and match

Sample 1:

Marriage defines the relationship between me, my wife and our children in a special way.

That special way is exclusive to this relationship, and to broaden the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples leaves me and my wife without our true identity.

Please don’t give your support to Same Sex Marriage.

The argument that the Marriage Act 1961 is discriminatory and unequal is WRONG.

Inequality, by definition, means two things that are the same are treated differently.

A black man and a white man are both members of the human race. If the black man gets preferential treatment at a Hotel bar and the white man is ignored, than this is what we call INEQUALITY.

The marital union between a man and a woman is called marriage. The union between a same sex couple cannot be defined as marriage, because the same sex couple is totally different and totally not the same as a heterosexual couple.

So because the “same sex couple” is not the same as a “heterosexual couple” the concept of INEQUALITY does not apply.

So, by definition, and by my vote, I am asking you to oppose any changes to the Marriage Act.

Sample 2:

Date

Name and Address of MP

Dear ………….

I am writing to you to express my opposition to the proposal for Same Sex Marriage.

I understand that homosexual people want acceptance in our society. This has been granted with superannuation and the adoption of children and decriminalisation etc.

However, you need to understand that the issue at hand here is not one of Inequality.

Inequality occurs when two things (that are both the same) are treated differently.

A Same Sex couple and a Heterosexual couple are 2 completely different things.

The Marriage Act 1961 defines the relationship between me and my spouse, and nobody else. I am sorry but I cannot see the Marriage Act accomodating Same Sex couples as they are not Heterosexual couples. Simple!

Please do not vote for any changes to the Marriage Act.

Thank you

Your Name
Address etc

Sample 3:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I think that legalizing “same sex marriage” would not be a good idea.

Family is everything. All good in the society comes through the family. Families begin with marriage. To attempt to change the definition of marriage would be a disaster for society. Leave the concept of marriage as it is.

To allow a full flourishing of the potential of a child who grows up to be an adult citizen a stable family is the most effective instrument. Gay marriages would destroy the concept of family, and thus destroy society.

“Gay marriages” do not form families. It seems to be only a way of seeking “public” approval for a non natural and selfish behavior!

Marriage is something “sacred” and considered as such by all cultures. While homosexual acts, which “gay marriages” are trying to have considered as something wholesome go against the natural law that is the way we are! How could you possibly put the two concepts on the same level.

Marriage  is an “public’ institution, something that allows civilization to go forward. Something which allows individuals to develop as human beings. It is a “natural contract” which means it something that is designed and desired by God!

Marriage has been already been weakened, by forgetting the “essence” of marriage! Marriage is a place where sexual activity is a way of expressing love and should be open to life.

So I ask you:

Would not it be better to promote family and marriage as a way of promoting a better society rather than giving a few individuals “official approval” of their activity at the high cost of destroying authentic marriage, and therefore the family which is the source of all goodness in the world?

So called “same sex marriages” are merely wrapping something perverse in a beautiful wrapping. Keep the word and the concept “marriage” as it is now, where it serves the great good of society. Please don’t wreck families and therefore society.

Sample 4:

I am writing to you to express my opposition to same sex marriage.

I believe that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. I do not support any change to the Commonwealth law that could diminish the institution of marriage and that would alter the current status of marriage.

I am committed to respect for all Australians. Same sex relationships now enjoy recent changes in superannuation, tax and social security. However, the marriage relationship is unique only to a heterosexual couple, and should always be specially recognised.

Thank you,

Sample 5:

Hi again, it’s a quickie (recipe, I mean) this week, and you’ll love my friend Artee (she’s a UK born Indian with a fair dinkum Cockney accent) for it.

This time we are cooking a Fish Curry…you can even serve this one up to your snob mates and they will think they’re dining a-la-carte.

As with this theme, the recipe’s prep time must be 15 minutes or less. Here goes…

Fish Curry & Steamed Rice

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 large onion
• 1 dessertspoon Curry Powder (we use “Clive Of India - Curry Powder”)
• 1 teaspoon ground Coriander (or leaves)
• 1 tin diced tomatoes (~400-440 grams)
• 2 curry leaves
• 1 tin salmon (~200 grams)
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

• Finely slice garlic and onion
• Open tins of diced tomatoes and salmon

Cooking

• Splash of olive oil in pan or wok, and fry sliced garlic and onion for 2 minutes or til cooked – the trick with any wok cooking is to make sure the oil is really hot before throwing ingredients in
• Add curry powder and coriander to garlic & onion and cook through
• Add tomatoes, salmon, curry leaves and blend through and let simmer for 5 minutes
• Add salt & pepper to suit your taste

Serve

• With Rice
• This should serve 2 adults and 2 kids, although to serve a larger family, cook more rice

Enjoy it! Let me know what you think…if you can better this, send in your recipe! Oh, before I forget your kids will love it, too!

One last thing, here is a pic of the curry powder we use:

I am looking forward to getting my teeth (bad pun…sorry, it was unintended) into this article.

Anyone who knows me well know that I love to cook for the family. Family and cooking are 2 things that go together well in our household.

Joanne, my wife, with a combination of patience and a desire to teach our girls excellent home living skills has resulted in our oldest 3 girls (14, 12, 10) being able to bake cakes and all sorts of treats with little effort. This makes me proud as a father and husband!

To make it worthwhile for people to follow the Fast Food 4 Busy Families theme I thought we should establish the following criteria:

1. McDonalds Drive Thru doesn’t count for our Fast Food! No Maccas!
2. Fast Food recipes include only those that take 15 minutes or less to prepare – cooking time is extra, that is, we don’t count cooking time in the preparation, after all this is when you can have a chat, and glass of wine, with your wife. Preparation time 15 minutes or less!
3. Fast Food recipes have to be relatively easy to make. Ease of Cooking!

My contribution to this theme is…(drum roll)…Curried Prawns & Steamed Rice (just like to old Chinese Restaurant we went to as kids!). This recipe is an old favourite from 1990 when I attended a cooking course with an old Sydney Chinese cook called Harry. I can’t remember his last name, but I still have the original handouts (Harry’s Chinese Cooking Classes) he gave to all the students.

Curried Prawns (or Chicken) & Rice

Ingredients

• 250 grams peeled cooked prawns (or if you prefer, 500 grams breast chicken)
• 1 large onion (chopped or diced large)
• 1 cup carrots (angle sliced)
• 1 cup peas
• 1 cup celery (angle sliced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional…actually I don’t think they cook with MSG anymore due to allergies etc I think)
• 1 dessert spoon or 3/4 tablespoon Curry Powder
• 2 tablespoons cornflour or plain flour (tip: always mix flour with cold water for an even consistent mix – this is one of the reasons why you go to cooking classes so you learn these great tips)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 cups of stock (use powdered chicken stock mixed with water from when you cooked or microwaved the carrots and peas)

Preparation

• Cut onions, carrots, celery into desired size (broadly this means cutting to same size at your chicken – about 1 inch or 2 centimetres)
• Pre-cook carrots and peas – Microwave is quick and easy, otherwise cook in boiling water in pan for 5 minutes
• Prep time is just on 15 minutes

Cooking

• Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a pan, and partially stir fry the chicken to almost cooked through (breast chicken goes tough to eat if over-cooked) – put aside
• Heat oil in Wok, and when hot, add onions, carrots, peas
• Add salt, pepper and curry powder
• Stir until almost cooked
• Add the stock, bring to boil and thicken with the cornflour mixed with a little water
• Finally, add Chicken or Prawns and heat quickly – if using Cooked Prawns, don’t cook for too long as they shrink and become tough to eat
• Whilst doing all the above cook rice in microwave or slow cooker or boiled

Serve

• With Rice

I have to say that this fast, easy and very tasty meal is a big hit with the family. It’s satisfying to see the kids go back for a 2nd helping! Through the winter, after a gruelling day of Saturday sport, it’s great to unwind in the kitchen, do a bit of cooking, have a chat and a glass of wine with the wife!

My big challenge to the Dads (and other blokes) is try this one out on your family and they will love you for it! No cheating either by buying it from the local Chinese. If you have a recipe that is quick and easy, 15 minutes and less, I would love to hear from you.

The recent murder of a young 18 year old girl in Sydney’s outskirts is yet another wake-up call for parents to be ever vigilant with their childrens’ access to Facebook and the Internet.

Local Police here in Sydney, NSW, Australia have issued the following strong warnings (directed to parents and responsible adults):

1. Remove any Facebook profile pictures & any Facebook information (with references to schools and groups that children belong to) – certainly from public pages
2. Review and assess computer use by children at home and school
3. Make sure all family computers are in a public area of the home

Unfortunately, there is too much information available to stalkers and predators. Apart from exercising parental prudence, it is always a good time to review and enforce the responsible use of IT.

Personally, I think we can give too much credit to our childrens’ maturity. I believe our childrens’ access to their own Facebook account should be delayed as long as possible. What age? I cannot tell you that, but I think 12 to 13 is way too young…

Your thoughts…?

Just a quickie this week!

I have been thinking a bit about a friend of mine recently. Charles (note: Names have been changed) and his wife have 4 children. The wife has been unwell recently, so we (my family and I) have pitched in to make a few (standby) meals and treats for them.

Anyway, as I said I have been thinking about Charle’s situation a bit. They live on 1 income, have a few children etc etc. All of that is OK! But I am concerned that they do not manage their home (domestic) affairs as well as they could. 

In our experience, there are 2 things that help a family household run effectively and smoothly. They are to:

shop well, and

cook well!

Both Shopping (for the raw ingredients of meals) and Cooking are Art Forms and require effort. Re Shopping we can look at this some other time.

However, let’s focus on the Cooking side of things!

It is well known (because I keep telling everyone) that when I was “Batch-ing” (slang for “when I was a bachelor”) I attended Cooking Classes. Anyway, I fancy myself as a bit of a cook, and ”the proof is in the pudding” especially as my children go back for seconds.

Joanne and I joke about some of our better meals only take 15 minutes to whip up!

So I have got to thinking that the Topic of “Fast Food For Busy Families” would be a regular feature of Families4Life. I think we could have a bit of fun with this, at the same time we can all share our “Fast Food” Culinary Delights and help each other run a tighter ship!

On that note, let me finish with a classic quote:

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. (Chinese Proverb)

So once in a while I am going to add a recipe that will be archived in “Fast Food For Busy Families”. Join in if you want to help others learn how to fish.

Now that I have got your attention…I really would like to say that the Internet is, in itself, a fantastic (and great) innovation of the 21st Century.

I think, You and I would agree that the Internet has brought about a lot of good for society. However, on the flip side, there has unfortunately been instances of lives ruined as a result of the Internet’s mis-use.

There is an old expression that goes something like this…”Get your brain in gear before your mouth’s in motion”! – simply meaning before you shoot your mouth off have a think about what you are going to say. This applies a lot to what we might think about people. Sometimes we are quick to say something about someone without thinking what we are saying.

Equally, I have heard people say they hit the e-mail’s “Send” button without thinking. Sometimes we can write an email in a hurry, or in the heat of the moment, and send the email. The moment after we send the email we realise (with an uncomfortable creepy feeling down our neck and back) we have done the wrong thing!!

Now the point with all this is we are finding with our own children (and their peers) that the whole Internet thing is not all that it is cracked up to be! Last week, I spoke about us having our children “coinciding with this new age of Technology, the Information Super Highway and the Internet” – this is all well and good, but there are serious issues emerging with the use of Facebook, chat rooms, cell phones and so on.

A friend of ours with teenage children said he purchased a mobile phone (cell phone) for his 15 year old boy (the oldest child). The deal was: the boy was to maintain the phone costs himself. Our friend’s son started to get into the texting with his school mates (apparently they could text each other for free). Our friend and his wife were concerned about the texting so they checked the cell phone and found that in the space of 6 months the cell phone had sent and received 8,000 text messages (many were 2-3 word messages only).

Texting, Facebook, emails, chat rooms, etc can claim credit to a new generation of short-hand typing!

I guess my point with all this is we (the parents) should not take the Internet and Communication technologies for granted especially when they are being used by our children.

Things we need to consider:

your children can sign up for Facebook as long as you are one of their “Friends” – if not, then you cannot keep a watchful eye over them

what age is appropriate for your child…this is a case by case thing I think

what age should you give your child a mobile / cell phone

rules of engagement when children are given access to the Internet etc

both parents should discuss these things, and come up with a plan

daily time limits set for “Screen” time – total allowed time on all screens including TV, computer, phones, etc

are we doing our honest best to do what is right for the children

I brought the whole Internet / Computer business up in a previous post last week. Have a look at some of the other tips to do with managing your family and the Internet.

Joanne, my wife, and I are a on fairly steep learning curve with the whole Internet thing, I guess we are doing best we can with our own Family.

I really think that we need to challenge our own “status quo” thinking and keep questioning whether we are doing the right thing! Part of this questioning process involves asking other parents “What do you do?”. Make sure you are open to their ideas and ways of doing things, at least hear them out!

Now I am not suggesting you have to do the same as it may not work for you and your family. If some of these things are unworkable can you let me know why (below in the Comments)?

Yours in Family,

Gerry Faehrmann, Expert Facilitator

I have been reading a really good book lately…well, for the last 2 months!

I really only read at night-time just before going to sleep. Reading is my therapy to coax me off to sleep. A few years ago I started having terrible trouble with insomnia, anyway with the help of different therapies (including reading, herbal remedies, diet, good habits including regular exercise etc) I have gotten back into a good habit of sleeping well.

Good sleep is certainly appreciated when you have a busy family life, especially with little ones that don’t understand the concept of waiting! Without good sleep your relationship with your children and spouse can suffer.

Anyway, back to this really good book!

It’s called “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families” by Stephen R. Covey.

It’s now the 4th time I have read it from cover-to-cover.

The big thing I have got out of reading Covey’s book is this idea that to have a really good relationship with anyone - you need to make regular deposits to people’s emotional bank accounts.

If you are in the habit of topping up your loved ones’ Love Tanks with little acts of love, then you can expect them to repay the kindnesses.

I am writing this on the run a bit, and I do want to talk about this some more next week or some other time.

I have been married to Joanne, my wife, for 15 years on January 28 of this year 2010.

We always celebrate our anniversary with a 24 hour leave pass from the children. This year we had an overnight stay in a 5 star hotel in the Sydney CBD including a few different activities squeezed into the 24 hours. I can tell you more about these things some other time.

Although Jo and I talk plenty about all sorts of issues, the one constant that we kept coming back to is “the kids”. I know some people will say “Oh, how unromantic!”, but the reality is the family is not just me and Jo, it’s all of us. Like in our business at Lawn Green, if we are proactively attending to all the issues that come about with all the family members then life runs more smoothly for everyone.

Now, the interesting thing about our family is we have had all our children coinciding with this new age of Technology, the Information Super Highway and the Internet.

All of the wonderful new and innovative inventions emerging from the Internet like Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, and other now famous Household names have forced us (“the Parents”) to think through the ramifications of these inventions on us and indeed, on our children.

By analyzing the impact of the Internet, computers and the associated free flow of information on us we have come up with a 8 different tactics that have helped us to run a more effective and happy household:

1. up until a responsible age (determined by the parents, in our case around 14-15, and we know some people who go older) the children share a common email address (usually the Mum or Dad’s email address) – this teaches the child to be responsible in the use of emailing, prevents bullying amongst peers (trust me we have heard some real nasty stories!)
2. same with Facebook and chat rooms – the Rules of Engagement for our children being on Facebook include us being their Friend, daily time limits to Facebook
3. keep the family computers or lap-tops in a public area of the home
4. same with TVs
5. no computers or TVs in bedrooms
6. no chat rooms, actually there is a form of chat room technology in the Facebook “chat” device
7. daily time limits for computer use
8. the parents set a good example

Now I am not suggesting you have to do the same as it may not work for you and your family. If some of these things are unworkable can you let me know why (below in the Comments)?

Yours in Family,

Gerry Faehrmann, Expert Facilitator

PS. Another thing that I must admit is that our oldest child has been quite an amenable child. Consequently, we have found that she sets a good example for the other children to follow. In terms of rearing the others, it becomes an easier task. What do you think?

I have said before that I want to talk about Family topics and issues that will help Families achieve more success and happiness. However, what works for some people may not for others, and What I think maybe in stark contrast to your ideas of family and parenting!

Some of these topics may be controversial, however, there is no intention to hurt or to do harm. Likewise, if you want to comment please remember that all of us have feelings too!

As I have said before, my qualifications here are limited to that of an Expert Facilitator. So, in this role, I would like to see what topics or issues that You are interested in being discussed.

Some of the things that interest me include:

• Internet use by children
• When should children be allowed to have their own email address and Facebook page
• Conflict Resolution
• Divorce and Family Breakdown
• Sleepovers
• Cyber Bullying
• Sexualisation of Children via media and advertising
• Tattoos and piercings
• Home Schooling versus Normal Schooling
• Beautiful but Real Easy Meals for Busy Families
• Fast Food (sorry kids, I don’t mean Maccas) for Busy Families
• Activities for Families and Children in Holidays and School Term
• Censorship
• How many children makes a Family?
• Should children have their own Mobile Phone?
• Are parents “friends” or “parents” first to their children?
• Pornography – Child versus Adult, what does it matter?
• Bullying in the home
• Team sport versus individual sport, what is better for your child?
• Should we encourage best friends for our children?
• Is the mother’s place in the home?
• and lots more

We will be advertising for people to contribute their own ideas and thoughts on Family matters. More to come about this. 

Yours in Family,

Gerry Faehrmann, Expert Facilitator

Hopefully, the headline captures your imagination and attention!

I don’t blame you for thinking, “Who is this guy to tell us how to run a successful family?”

OK, before I answer that question, a bit about us.

Hi, my name is Gerry Faehrmann! I am married to Joanne, and we have 6 kids. We live in the north-western suburbs of Sydney, NSW, Australia. As you can see on our Curriculum Vitae page we look pretty normal, but like any family we have our Strengths and Weaknesses (and I can expand on these some other time).

Now, how can I tell you about running a successful family?

The short answer is “I cannot!”.

But the longer answer is “With the help of lots of other families, I can!”

You see, even between Joanne and me, we have a pretty good run of experience to share with others! But I know that by tapping into the vast experience of other interested families out there, that I can help more Families worldwide become more successful, happier and motivated to achieve more.

Families4Life is a Passion and Labour of Love of mine! I care about The World being a better place to live in. And what better Grass Roots way of doing this than by improving your own Family!

I guess one way of looking at Families4Life is that it is like a Personal Development resource for Families.

As the owner of  Families4Life, I see myself as a Facilitator and Go-Between. So even though I may have some stories and experiences to share with you, I don’t see myself as an Expert on Family. Fortunately, with the power of the internet, we can all do our “little bit” in making the world a happier and peaceful place to live in!

Yours in Family,

Gerry Faehrmann, Expert Facilitator