I must take issue with the term 'a mere child ' for it has been my invariable experience that the company of a mere child is infinitely preferable to that of a mere adult.

As a partner in a firm full of women who work outside of the home as well as stay at home mothers all with plenty of children gender equality is not a talking point for me. It is an issue I live every day.

Well my personal mission statement is that we want marriage equality in all 50 states. We want it not to be a state-by-state issue. We don't want it to be something the majority is voting on. I don't think the civil rights of any minority should be in the hands of any majority.

The unionists also for their part want to minimise the potential for change not only on the equality agenda but on the issues of sovereignty and ending the union.

Republican patience with how unionism deals with the political institutions and with key issues like equality and human rights will be tested because obviously there will be a battle a day on these matters. So lets face up to all of this with our eyes wide open.

Equal pay isn't just a women's issue when women get equal pay their family incomes rise and the whole family benefits.

I like the outdoors and the natural world. Environmental issues.

Franklin Roosevelt was very concerned about environmental issues.

I hope that in future Congresses there will reemerge a recognition that climate change is a reality that our policies to meet our energy needs must also deal responsibly with environmental issues including the damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

It is one of the issues that will have to be worked through however let me make the point and I think anyone would accept that if you set it up properly not only will you get better environmental outcomes you have a chance to create more wealth with the available resource.