The easiest answer is No

Scene  –  option 1

Michael (10 years old) – Mum, can I sleep over at Jessie’s tonight?

Mum  - No

Michael bickers and frets, throws a tantrum, eventually gets tired and sleeps

End of story

Scene  –  option 2

Michael – Mum can I sleep over at Jessie’s tonight ?

Mum – Will there be an adult with you?

Michael – Yes of course mum

Mum – ok then

Michael – will you drive me there?

Mum – ok

Michael – yeah

Mum  - promise me you’ll behave and give Jessie’s mum no trouble

Michael – Don’t worry mum Jessie’s parents will be out, his brother Mark will be with us

Mum - Jessie’s brother is only 12 years old

Michael - Oh! Come on mum, Jessie’s parents will be coming back at midnight, we promise to behave

Mum -No dear, midnight is too late and Mark is too young to take care of you

Michael - Then why don’t you stay with us till midnight?

Mum – Ok then

Packing of bags, pillows, sleeping gear, breakfast gear and soft animals ensues

Car travel follows

Mum sits on the sofa whilst Michael, Jessie and his brother play guitar hero at full blast

Mum’s ears start to bleed

The kids finally go to bed and mum sleeps on the sofa until Jessie’s parents arrive

Mum wakes up with a stiff neck

Half asleep mum drives home at midnight

In bed, mum worries about her child in ‘that’ house

In the morning, mum fights with husband about who will bring their son back home

Issue is brought up for the rest of mum’s life...and the story never quite ends

The point I’m trying to make is that whenever we’re faced with a difficult or complex situation, whenever we’re asked for anything or put on the spot for a favour, the easiest answer is to say No.

It’s simple, it’s direct, and you get to move on unencumbered, and with less weight on your shoulders.

This stands especially true when it comes to proposed legislation that is not only complex, liberal, and most likely to be unpopular but also controversial. 

When something like this is proposed around election time – a time when you need all your forces (and every miracle) to help in bringing back votes, ‘No’ is definitely the answer of choice.

I’m referring of course to the Governments direct and unambiguous rejection of the Opposition’s proposal to allow surrogacy under special circumstances. With the Government’s history of being more conservative than a Victorian parlour,  I didn’t expect any better. Had it happened at a different time during the administration I would however have expected them to at least pretend to listen, argue and consider, but at this time of year, and with what’s lurking for them around the corner, I’m not surprised one bit that they just blurted out a clear-cut, unequivocal NO.

As Joshua Harris once wrote – “The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.”