MEDIA RELEASE

Greens Take Nanny State To A New Level

Family First NZ is labelling the Green’s ‘welcome package’ for newborns policy as wasteful and misdirected.

“This policy is taking ‘nanny state’ to a new level but indicates just how much the Greens want to intervene in family life,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“It is a complete waste of taxpayer money to give nappies, bibs and blankets to millionaire families and other families who are able to cope with those needs already.”

“It would make far greater sense to target those resources at young and low income families who are starting out as a family. Targeted assistance is far more appropriate. It is also disappointing that the Greens oppose income-splitting which would greatly help single income families,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“This policy is simply a stepping stone to having a social worker allocated to every child from day one – another level of ‘nanny state’.”

In Family First’s Value Your Vote resource, the Greens stated that Government, not parents, have primary responsibility for nurturing, raising and educating their children.

ENDS

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

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MEDIA RELEASE

Smacking Doco Proves Real Harm of Law to Families

Family First NZ has just released a new documentary on the anti-smacking law “MUM ON A MISSION” featuring the experiences of five more families. This is the sequel to the documentary from 2011 “MY MUMMY’S A CRIMINAL” which was viewed on YouTube over 12,300 times (despite being a 30 minute documentary) and 10,000 copies of the DVD distributed.

“In 2007, politicians changed the laws making it illegal for parents to use smacking as form of correction with their children. The referendum in 2009 revealed that 87% of New Zealanders opposed this move believing that it wouldn’t solve genuine child abuse – which it hasn’t – but would lead to good parents being unjustly persecuted. To assuage these fears, Prime Minister John Key stated that ‘If I see good parents getting criminalised for lightly smacking their children for the purposes of discipline, I’m going to change the law.’ Here’s the evidence,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Despite assurances to the contrary, families have been torn apart, accused of lying and dragged through the courts with disturbing results. One parent says ‘Good parents won’t be affected by the law… they’ll just be removed from being parents’ and another couple complain that ‘Of course CYF had to investigate… but they didn’t actually investigate anything’.”

“Since the anti-smacking law was introduced, the rate of serious child assaults has increased by more than 80%. This documentary lifts the lid on a flawed law whose real effect has been hidden by state agencies such as CYF and the Police, and by politicians,” says Mr McCoskrie.

There is also an accompanying website which contains more detailed information and examples www.protectgoodparents.org.nz. The website has additional resources for families including legal advice for parents; the experience of other parents not included in the documentary; why the ‘Nigel Latta’ review was flawed, misleading, and factually incorrect; the research on why smacking is not child abuse; the experience of Australia which has not banned smacking; and what the real causes of child abuse are.

Family First will be launching the “10 Good Reasons to Change the Anti-Smacking Law” which highlights the 10 families featured in the two documentaries.

Family First continues to call for a change to the law to decriminalise non-abusive smacking for the purposes of correction.

VIEW THE DOCUMENTARY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7chx3ifSLo

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 027 55 555 42

Push For Gender Confusion In Schools

Family First NZ is warning schools about an agenda to bring gender confusion in to schools in areas such as changing rooms, sports teams and school uniforms.

Auckland University’s Adolescent Health Research Group and Rainbow Youth are recommending to schools that

• school sports teams allow for gender diversity
• changing rooms are ‘safe environments’
• formal written records reflect the gender identity of children
• school uniforms are flexible for gender identity

“Among the implications of these types of proposals is that sex-specific facilities, including changing rooms, showers and toilets could no longer be directed on the basis of a child’s actual biological sex,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Students could pick the toilet or changing room or sports team or uniform of the gender with which they identify at that time.”

“But the expectation of parents and the children themselves is to see students of the same gender in places like toilets and changing rooms.”

“The controversial proposals are unnecessary and gives the opportunity, for example, for male students who pretend to be transgender an alibi to use girl’s toilets, showers, and changing rooms.”

“In view of the confusion experienced overseas by such rules, it is not surprising that the United Nations has repeatedly rejected the terms ‘sexual identity’ and ‘sexual expression’ as a protected right partly because of confusion around its definition,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“Overseas experience has also shown that special toilets for those with gender identity disorder amounted to discrimination. Schools will be in a no-win situation.”

“Students with gender dissatisfaction must have the same rights as all New Zealanders, but should not be given special rights which place other school children at risk. Ignoring biology is not a proper solution.”

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 027 55 555 42