Kids first, country second? Hammond is hardly the first MP to juggle a lot of kids

Tim Hammond leaves parliament. The federal MP for Perth on 6PR, Wednesday:

I have made a very personal decision ... that I have to resign from that role purely for the purposes that, for the last 18 months, as much as I have desperately tried to wrestle this to the ground, I just cannot find myself reconciling the role of a federal parliamentarian from here in Perth with being the dad that fundamentally I just need to be to three very little children I’ve got.

Three kids? That’s nothing compared to what Joseph Lyons had to deal with. The National Archives of Australia website:

Joesph Lyons — Children: Desmond (1916); Sheila (1918); Enid (1919); Kathleen (1920); Moira (1922); Kevin (1923); Garnet (1924); Brendan (1926); Barry (1927); Rosemary (1929); Peter (1931); Janice (1933).

He led the country during the Depression and never shirked. Lyons in Sydney, December 3, 1931:

Surely the first contribution of the government towards the restoration of confidence in the present and the future of Australia is to pay its way and to live within its income.

And what a mess Hammond’s left. Andrew Burrell reports for The Australian online, yesterday:

Some of Labor’s most powerful factional chiefs are pushing to install Senator Louise Pratt as the party’s candidate for the looming Perth by-election instead of West Australian state secretary Patrick Gorman ... Labor insiders describe the situation as “fluid” and said Mr Gorman could still emerge as the candidate by the end of the day.

Talking of messes, Catherine McGregor changes her mind ... The Sydney Morning Herald columnist, yesterday:

I dashed their (LGBTI people’s) hopes and broke their hearts over my criticism of Safe Schools. I was too selfish, too ideological and too combative.

We’re all entitled to change our minds, but what a backflip. McGregor on Rendezview, May 16, 2016:

I do not support the Safe Schools program as the best way to support trans kids.

McGregor in the Herald, yesterday:

To those I harmed, may you find forgiveness in your hearts. I forgive you. We may not agree always. But we need one another.

At least McGregor admits she swaps sides a lot ... The columnist on Rendezview, May 16, 2016:

My feelings about the current debate are conflicted. Hardly surprising, I guess. I have changed political parties, genders and suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction as well as going from being a practising Catholic to a non-denominational Christian. Goodness, I am even left-handed. As one delightful cab driver told me a couple of years back: “Geez Luv you hit every branch on the way down, didn’t you?”

Finally, The Daily Telegraph’s Emmanuel Macron front page grabbed a lot of attention, yesterday:

President Pepe le Pew (Macron’s face replaced with the lusty Loony Toon).

The Tele now has the presidential seal of approval. Macron, yesterday:

It’s very funny ... I have been in Australia for many years so I know you have to give and take a joke.

Could it be love between the paper and the president? Pepe Le Pew, 1955:

Permit me to introduce myself. I am Pepe Le Pew, your lover.