http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/mick-doleman/ Mick Doleman is the Deputy National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and Chair of the International Committee of Mining and Maritime.  Mick went to sea in 1970 and was elected an official of the Seamen’s Union of Australia (SUA) in 1984, and became a national official in 1998 when the SUA amalgamated with the Waterside Workers’ Federation (WWF) to form the MUA. Mick represents the MUA on several International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) committees, including the Offshore Taskforce organising the oil and gas industry globally, and is involved in other global bodies such as the IMO and ILO.  Pursuing the union goal of assisting members in all aspects of their working lives, Mick is chair of the Mining Maritime Power Credit Union and is on the board of the superannuation scheme for the maritime industry.  In recent years he has particularly taken up the issue of violence against women and was recognised in 2011 as the Australian White Ribbon Foundation Ambassador of the Year for his efforts in engaging the trade union movement in this important issue. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/every-australian-man-is-on-the-frontline-of-this-battle/ My father was a violent man. My mother is still alive thankfully, and I don’t wish to embarrass her by delving into details regarding my father’s behaviour, however it is true to say that his actions restricted her opportunities. My mother’s whole being was concentred on protecting and shielding her children. As a young boy, I remember the feeling of helplessness in not being able to protect her from abuse. The community I grew up in knew what was happening to my mother, but nobody intervened or even ventured a comment. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Mick Doleman) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/every-australian-man-is-on-the-frontline-of-this-battle/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/every-australian-man-is-on-the-frontline-of-this-battle/#item7231 Thu, 24 Nov 2011 19:55:58 +0000 Mick Doleman | Author bios | The Punch