I can't afford to stop working. My husband is doing his masters thesis.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/dont-be-rattled-by-the-baby-guilt-trip-20100214-nzb9.html

Kevin Rudd shoved a size 24 gumboot down his throat recently at a talk on the population crisis facing Australia - in which he castigated my very own Generation Y for failing to reproduce as required.

Talking with audience members afterward, he was introduced to a young woman who is doing her PhD in journalism.

Quoth the journalist:

"At this, Rudd rolled his eyes and in a terse voice lacking any sense of irony remarked that is the "excuse" that "all" young women are using nowadays to avoid starting families.  Since then I've come up with numerous one-line retorts, but in the moment I just froze in shock."

How do you respond to something so ill-judged?

"I'm infertile, Mr Rudd."

"I can't afford to stop working.  My husband is doing his master's thesis."

"But I'm good at research!"

"I'll start believing you're serious when you start exhorting men to drop out of their careers to take care of the babies that they beget upon their partners.  What's that?  Men don't get paternity leave?  No problem! Neither do I, but I'm researching how to cure cancer.  We're expecting a breakthrough any week now.   He's a CPA.  I'm pretty sure I know which job is the more meaningful to the future of our patriotically conceived babies - but What?  You mean it doesn't work like that?"

No, I don't suspect that it does.  Not on either side of the aisle.  The most loyal opposition slams Deputy PM Julia Gillard with deeply crass ad hominem attacks such as "barren" and "empty fruit bowl" - Take that, you Able Public Administrator!

It's a reasonably clever form of attack, innit?  She's generally unfit because she's unwomanly, and if she were womanly, she'd be at home with the sprogs!