Life Matters

Talkback: Ambition What are you ambitious for? Tonnes of money, great sex, a loving relationship or the best job in the world?

Indigenous baby packages Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is considering distributing 'baby packs' to indigenous mothers from Cape York, as a way to tackle serious health problems in children. Reducing hospital infections Going to hospital is no fun but even more distressing if you acquire an infection you didn´t come in with. Music Track - The best is yet to come Codgers A new play called Codgers gives a public voice to older Australian men.

Childcare and women in the workforce Jennifer Buckingham argues there is only a weak relationship between the cost of childcare and women's participation in Australia. Navigating the empty nest You might be surprised to hear that one of the biggest parenting challenges around is actually dealing with your offspring once they´ve left the family home. Holding Men In the current debates about the health and viability of Indigenous communities, there are voices not often heard, those of Aboriginal men in remote communities. Your feedback The letter of the week comes from Mark in response to Dr Rosie King's talk on building a great relationship.

Carbon Trading 101 A carbon emissions trading scheme, it sounds like what we need for climate change but how exactly does it work? Attachment and childcare A pilot project aimed at enhancing the relationship between at risk parents and their young children is claiming major success. Don Tate: the war within Don Tate is a Vietnam veteran who´s become known for his fight to get recognition for his platoon which is not acknowledged in the official war history. Creativity in the classroom One of the biggest ever music and arts education initiatives will be launched today - one which could make a real difference to what happens in Australian classrooms.

Bradley Higher Education Review Universities could be living in a brave new world after the Bradley Review into Higher Education. Harnessing diversity Poor English is a barrier to employment in Australia but is it the real reason migrants struggle to find a job? Kathy Golski - My Two Husbands In the late 60s Kathy, a young woman from suburban Sydney, met Olek, a doctor and refugee from wartime Poland. They had more than a few curly cultural differences to untangle, but the two fell deeply in love. Multiple Choice - female firefighters This week social commentator Susan Maushart has been exploring a still unconventional career path.

Forum: preparing for the Asian century The five year olds starting school this year will be at the peak of their working lives in 2040 when China and India are predicted to become the world's major economies.

Green collar jobs The carbon emissions trading scheme will impact on the cost of living and potentially affect jobs in carbon-intensive industries. Kalgoorlie Community Court The issue of how to better deal with Aboriginal offenders in the justice system has spawned a number of alternative approaches, one of the better known strategies is `circle sentencing´. Elly Varrenti on repartnering after separation On Monday we talked about the impact on children of re-partnering after separation and divorce. Building a great relationship GP and sex Therapist Rosie King believes that a great relationship needs maintenance.

Disability Support Pensions - Is the bar too high? Advocacy groups have been campaigning to change eligibility rules for the Disability Support Pension, claiming they work against people with 'up and down' but ultimately, degenerating illnesses. Bill Shorten - Disability Support Pensions Debate Bill Shorten, the Parliamentary Secretary For Disability And Children's Services, is quizzed by Richard Aedy about whether the eligibility guidelines for Disability Support Pensions should be amended. Medicare changes If you´re one of the nine million Australians with private health cover - you may be rethinking its value as the Federal Government´s budget decision removes the Medicare surcharge for middle income earners.

Call for more parental leave The Productivity Commission is holding an inquiry into paid maternity and parental leave, looking into ways to better support families with newborn babies. Finding sanctuary in our busy lives Father Christopher Jamison is the Abbot of Worth, a Benedictine monastery in Sussex in the U.K. It was featured in the TV series The Monastery His order welcomed five laymen into their abbey, where they struggled to adjust, but left with new insights into their spiritual lives. The Quitting Journal: part 6 Today, the completion of what has been a huge and extraordinarily challenging project for longtime Life Matters listener, `Leo´. Olive Riley dies at 108 We pay tribute to Olive Riley who died in Woy Woy at the weekend at the age of 108. Meet the Listener - bipolar and relationships Today´s Meet the Listener guest Elizabeth Brown is with us to talk about the effect Mental Illness can have on a marriage especially when the condition is undiagnosed.

Googling with your GP For years, the mantra was this - beware the use of medical information found on the internet. Being bipolar Louise O'Connor has gone from a position of helping other people get their lives back on track to desperately needing help herself. Multiple partners Children whose separated parents quickly seek a new live-in partner are at a greater risk of behaviour problems. Multiple Choice: learning the violin The decision to learn an instrument as demanding as the violin can set you apart from the other kids. Especially when you´re 51.

Talkback: Social impact of drought The impact of drought on families and communities is a theme of the Australian Institute of Family Studies conference.

Youth violence Youth violence is on the increase in western countries. Sex lives of Australian women The Kinsey Report in the 1950s, the Hite Report in the 1970s - books on sexuality always create controversy even the liberated 21st century. Music Track - Shores of White Sand The brain trickster: Children with OCD - Part 2 Parenting can be hard, but parenting a child with obsessive compulsive disorder can be heartbreaking. In this two-part series, we meet two families raising a child with the condition.

Relocation after separation Relocation, after a couple has separated and there are children involved, is one of the hottest topics in family law. Should she, or he, be allowed to go, and take the children? Toy safety Last year millions of toys were recalled because of fears over potentially dangerous lead paint levels. The brain trickster: Children with OCD - Part 1 Parenting can be hard, but parenting a child with obsessive compulsive disorder can be heartbreaking. Your feedback Our letter of the week comes from Alex in response to our Meet the Listener Betty.

Should the neighbours know? In Queensland, police have had to move a child sex offender several times after neighbours discovered he was living in the community and campaigned against him. What makes you happy? What is the secret to true happiness? The Quitting Journal: Part 5 Life Matters listener 'Leo' has been keeping in touch over his battle to become a non-smoker of both cigarettes and his beloved dope. Music Track - Coming Home Meet the Listener: Betty's secret to flexible living Betty Trevers, our Meet the Listener guest is eighty-four.

Return to work: maternity leave surprise finding New research from the Institute of Family Studies has found the timing of women's return to work is not significantly affected by whether they have access to paid maternity leave. Alternative medicine on trial Have you had a massage recently, or some Chinese herbs? Maybe a bit of acupuncture for that nagging pain in your back? It's not unusual to seek out alternative treatments these days, but does it actually work? Multiple Choice: shoe repair In this episode of Multiple Choice commentator Susan Maushart gets to the heart not to mention the sole of shoe repair. Well, any repair, really. World Youth Day preview In just a few days time the massive World Youth Day series of events really shifts into gear.

Talkback: working from home As you juggle work and family, do you ever think life would be easier if you could work from home?

What's happening to our girls? There's a very hot debate these days about sexualisation and the targeting of young women by popular culture and marketing. Who is Cindy McCain? As the US presidential elections draw closer, we find out about Cindy McCain, the wife of the presumptive Republican nomineee, John McCain. Who is she, and what kind of first lady would she be? Irina Baronova tribute We remember the ballerina Irina Baronova, who died last week aged 89. The Fabulous Flag Sisters Who are the Flag Sisters?

Mobile monitoring: am I depressed? When you've been through one - or more - episodes of debilitating depression, the possibility of relapse can be a niggling (even frightening) fact of life? Housing crisis for older Australians Older Australians on fixed incomes are calling for their housing needs to be recognised at a time of record housing unaffordability. Sway: why we make irrational decisions Why do we often make irrational decisions in the face of objective evidence? Your feedback This week a lot of feedback including responses to Holly Hill's book Toyboy, whether children are better behaved than 20 years ago and changes to child support arrangements.

Nurses and primary care Should GPs be the gatekeepers in our health system? Parent Advocates All parents are used to acting in the best interests of their children. Sometimes it can make you feel like a pushy parent. The Quitting Journal: Part 4 In every war, there are victories - and setbacks. 'Happy Guy' comes to the party 'The Happy Guy' was the smiling photograph found in a hotel bin in Canada that changed Nathan Sturdy´s day some seven years ago. Nathan was going through a rough patch at the time and the photo cheered him up. Elly Varrenti on friendship Elly Varrenti muses on the importance of friends in her life, even though she spends more time alone.

Do children have more problems than 20 years ago? Some people say that kids today aren´t as happy and healthy as "when we were growing up." New sexual health strategy needed When nearly 30 organisations come together to call for action on sexual and reproductive health, then it´s probably cause to sit up and take notice. Mahtab´s Story: Libby Gleeson When you´re a writer real life inspiration can sometimes be hard to find. Multiple Choice: Dr Diction We begin a new series of Multiple Choice with social commentator Susan Maushart.

Talkback: Who's Celebrating What? Are you looking forward to a party, a real 'knees-up'?

Return of the nanny state Greg Barns argues that the nanny state is back. Women in leadership Even thought Hillary Clinton won´t be the next US president, her hard-fought campaign had a galvanising affect on many young American girls and women. Wanted: Toyboy The advertisement reads something like this `Toyboy sought by attractive 40 year old woman willing to pay generous weekly allowance'. Community choirs The Music Council recently announced the winners of their first national awards for community music-making.

Child support changes Next week, parents will receive their first payments under the new child support formula. Online Dating: keep it real There are now hundreds and thousands of Australians looking for sex or love, or both, on internet dating sites. Tom Gilling: Dreamland Would you tell a lie to help a friend? And would you take money for doing it? Your Feedback This week we've had a big response to Friday's talkback on why friendships fall over. Listeners also welcomed the appointment of the new chief Commonwealth Nurse, Rosemary Bryant and paid tribute to Senator Natasha Stott Despoja as she departs Canberra.

New Commonwealth Chief Nurse Australia has appointed its first Commonwealth Chief Nurse. Responding to child neglect More child abuse is being reported to welfare agencies but often we don´t know until it´s too late. The Quitting Journal: Part 3 The Quitting Journal is a real life account from a Life Matters listener, 'Leo', of his battle to give up two of his greatest life 'crutches', cannabis and cigarettes. Calling Middle Managers Dr Melissa Parris has spent years studying the working lives of middle managers. Meet the Listener - Gilda and the class of '68 Gilda Cohen-Shapira has got a school reunion on her hands and it's on an international scale.

Natasha Stott Despoja farewells politics She was the youngest ever woman to enter the Federal Parliament and wearing bulky Doc Martins to boot! Jessica Queller: Pretty Is What Changes You're 35, a successful television writer and you're very aware of your biological clock ticking, then advances in gene technology deliver some shocking news. Vita Activa: the future of volunteering The Chief Executive of Volunteering England, Justin Davis Smith, says we might be entering 'the age of the volunteer´ and that volunteering is `the spirit of the age´.

Talkback: When friends fall out Where would we be without friends?

Forum: can you teach happiness? Can young people be educated to be happy? This was the topic of a session at the recent Happiness and Its Causes conference. Bonk: sex and science What is it about sex?

Childcare: New Politics, New Practicalities Are you one of those people who always shop around, compare prices, before you buy...? Chinese Trauma An Australian-devised formula for working with traumatised people is being used in China, to help those affected by the Sichuan earthquake. Arnold Zable: Sea of Many Returns Arnold Zable's new novel "Sea of Many Returns" charts one family´s journey to Australia, and the bitterness and regret it throws up for both those that stay and those that choose to go. Your Feedback A range of feedback this week - on the pros and cons of commuter cycling, living in squalor and daycare for dogs. Community Idol winner The winner of the Community Idol competition we´ve been featuring on Life Matters is the Blythe Regional Cinema in South Australia.

10 new employment standards The Prime Minister has announced the much anticipated national employment standards. The Quitting Journal: Part 2 We check back in with 'Leo', a man with a huge appetite for ciggies and dope, but who's determined to quit both his vices. Food rescue in Canberra While food prices might be going up we still waste an awful lot of it. Meet the Listener: the plight of the long distance grandparent Phyllis Gorman, today's Meet the Listener guest, is a long distance grandparent. Doggie Day Care At a daycare centre for dogs in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills, there is playtime, nap time and two walks a day.

Indigenous education and boarding schools Indigenous communities are sending their children to boarding schools in the hope of a better education. Who is Michelle Obama? Barack Obama has made his history by becoming the Democrat nominee designate for this year´s US Presidential elections. Community Idol 2008: Consumer Activity Network We've been hearing about Australia´s most innovative community organisations - all finalists in the Community Idol Competition being held in Melbourne this week as part of Our Communities Conference.