Family Integrity

Year: 2009

  • Woman arrested after baby assaulted

    Woman arrested after baby assaulted

    Stuff.co.nz

    A South Auckland woman has been arrested following an alleged assault on a five-month old baby last night.

    Police say they were called to a domestic at an address in Mangere at about 11.30pm.

    They say an ambulance was called as a baby had been assaulted.

    Police say a 28-year old female has been charged with assaulting a child and will appear in the Counties Manukau District court today.

    They say they are not seeking anyone else in relation to the matter.

  • Meetings to strengthen the Family

    April 14 – 20

    Meetings to strengthen the Family

    Talks specifically for Christian Dads

    A group of 15 Christian home educating fathers is coming from the USA to investigate New Zealand as a possible place to which to re-locate their families.

    They are eager to meet with other men living in New Zealand to learn about the country, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, financial institutions, health and welfare issues, how home education works here and what the home education community is like.

    Four public meetings are planned in order to facilitate this, and each meeting is also featuring a formal talk by either Geoff or son Isaac Botkin. These should be of particular interest and benefit to New Zealand Christian home educating fathers, as well as mums, to enhance and encourage their own vision for what home education can and will do for their families, the Church and society as a whole.

    The Botkin family lived near Snells Beach and then in Christchurch for six years, making it their business to meet and get to know as many leaders as they could in the Church, the media, economics, politics, home education, etc. Do strive to come to whichever of their meetings you are able.

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    AUCKLAND Public Meeting
    Date: 14 April Tuesday
    Venue: Ngaire Ave Bible Chapel
    3 Ngaire Ave, Epsom, Auckland 1003

    http://www.google.co.nz/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GZAZ_en-GBNZ315NZ315&q=map+of+ngaire+ave+newmarket+auckland&safe=active
    6:30pm Public meeting
    Speaker:: Geoffrey Botkin
    Topic: New Zealand’s Future Role in the History of Christianity

    Admission: Free, with voluntary offering

    For more information:

    Contact:: Chris and Erin OR Craig and Barbara Smith
    Email: cjanderin@maxnet.co.nz OR  barbara@hef.org.nz
    Phone:     (09) 579-4877 OR (06) 357-4399

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    HAMILTON Public Meeting

    Date: April 16 Thursday, 12 noon

    Event: Bring and Share Lunch

    Speaker:  Isaac Botkin

    Venue: Trinity Reformed Baptist Church

    Cnr Miro and Matai Street, Maeroa, Hamilton

    Topic: The Importance of Second Generation Home Schooling: Isaac Botkin

    Admission: Free, with voluntary offering

    For more information:

    Phone: 07 843-7554

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    TAURANGA Public Meeting

    Date: April 16 Thursday

    Venue: Mt Baptist Church

    cnr Ranch Road and Tui Street, Mt Maunganui

    7:00pm  Public meeting

    Topic:The Three Greatest Issues Facing the Men of New Zealand: Geoffrey Botkin
    Question and Answer

    Admission: Free, with voluntary offering

    Phone:  07 575-5787

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    CHRISTCHURCH Public Meeting

    Date: April 20, Monday
    Venue: Middleton Grange School, 50 Acacia Avenue, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch 8041

    7:30 pm Public Meeting

    Speaker: Geoffrey Botkin

    Topic: How Men Can Strengthen Their Families in the 21st Century, And Why This is Important

    Admission: Free, with voluntary offering

    For more information:

    Contact:  Calvary Office OR Craig and Barbara Smith

    Phone: (03) 341-5223 OR (06) 357-4399

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    Geoffrey Botkin
    Writer, Director, & Producer
    Geoffrey Botkin

    Veteran producer and IT pioneer Geoffrey Botkin serves as an advisor to the Western Conservatory of the Arts and Sciences. He has written and directed some of the most controversial and widely watched public affairs films of the last twenty years, reaching viewers across the U.S., Russia, Europe, and Australasia. He has produced or executive-produced more than one-hundred documentary films, television productions, and other media projects.

    In addition to time spent as CEO of an experimental international print/broadcast/Internet media conglomerate, Mr. Botkin has invested many years into the training of young media professionals, primarily at Deerwood Studios in the U.S. and the Family Television Network of New Zealand.

    Mr. Botkin has lectured on philosophy and history at Hillsdale College, on politics at the Heritage Foundation, and on theology at worldview conferences in the U.S. and New Zealand. With his wife and seven children, he is currently researching the future of the feature motion picture.

    Family websites:

    http://westernconservatory.com/

    To hear some of Geoffrey’s talks:

    Geofreyf’s daughters (Authors of So Much More) blog:

    Return of the Daughters DVD
    http://hef.org.nz/2008/2720/

    Geoffrey’s oldest son’s blog – Isaac will be speaking in Hamilton

    http://hef.org.nz/2009/hamilton-meeting-the-importance-of-second-generation-home-schooling/

  • Family First Welcomes Bill to Fix Smacking Law

    MEDIA RELEASE

    19 March 2009

    Family First Welcomes Bill to Fix Smacking Law

    Family First NZ is ‘stoked’ that ACT List MP John Boscawen has announced his intention to introduce a Private Members Bill to amend the anti-smacking law.

    “Our polling along with every other poll done over the past 3 years shows that approximately 80% of NZ’ers oppose this law – and for good reason,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

    “This flawed law has attempted to link a smack on the bottom with child abuse of the worst kind, and has put good parents raising law-abiding and responsible citizens in the same category as rotten parents who are a danger to their kids and to society in general.”

    “Not surprisingly, the child abuse rate has continued unabated with 12 child abuse deaths in the 21 months since the law was passed – the same rate as before the law was passed.”

    “Family First research has also shown that parents are hugely confused over the legal effect of the law. Parents have a right to know whether they are parenting within the law or not.”

    The 2007 UNICEF report on child wellbeing said “the likelihood of a child being injured or killed is associated with poverty, single-parenthood, low maternal education, low maternal age at birth, poor housing, weak family ties, and parental drug or alcohol abuse.”

    Family First is calling on National to adopt this bill as a government bill, to acknowledge the important and valued role of good parents, and to then target resources and effort at the real causes of child abuse.

    ENDS

    For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

    Bob McCoskrie – National Director

    Mob. 027 55 555 42

  • Amendment To Fix Broken Anti-Smacking Law

    Amendment To Fix Broken Anti-Smacking Law

    Immediate Release: Thursday March 19, 2009

    ACT New Zealand MP John Boscawen today announced that he will introduce a Private Member’s Bill to amend the controversial Anti-Smacking law inflicted on New Zealanders by Labour and the Greens in 2007.

    “My announcement coincides with yesterday’s release of a poll that shows widespread support for the law to be altered,” Mr Boscawen said.

    “This poll, commissioned by Family First NZ and conducted by Curia Market Research, surveyed the views of 1,000 everyday New Zealanders – 83 percent of whom felt the law should be changed, with a total 77 percent of respondents believing the law would not help reduce our child abuse rates.

    “While addressing the concerns of those who felt that the original section 59 of the Crimes Act was too vague, my amendment to the law will protect from criminalisation those parents who use a light smack for the purpose of correction.

    “The amendment will change the Act so that: it is no longer a crime for parents or guardians to use reasonable force to correct children; there are clear statutory limits on what constitutes reasonable force; parents and guardians have certainty about what the law permits; it is no longer reliant on police discretion for the law to be practical and workable.

    “In an attempt to curb child abuse, this law has simply criminalised law-abiding parents and removed their freedom to decide how best to raise their children – something that ACT has consistently opposed.

    “The Labour we know best’ Government is out and National is now in.  Perhaps we will now begin to see an end to the madness of the past nine years – where politicians saw fit to tell New Zealanders how to live their lives,” Mr Boscawen said.

    ENDS

    Media Contact: Shelley Mackey, Press Secretary, 04 817 6634 / 021 242 785.

  • FAMILY FIRST NZ – Massive support for law change

    Press Release from Family First NZ

    We thought you’d be interested in our (Family First NZ) latest Media Release. Feel free to forward it on to your local MP and others on your Contacts list.
    PS If you support the work and ‘voice’ of Family First NZ and would be willing to contribute towards the cost of this research, we would greatly appreciate it! DONATE HERE Thank you!

    Family First Media Release 18 March 2009

    83% Still Want


    Smacking


    Law Fixed – Poll


    Almost two years after the passing of the controversial anti-smacking law, more than 80% of NZ’ers still want the law changed and 77% say that the law won’t have any effect on our unacceptable child abuse rate.

    These are the key finding of research commissioned by Family First NZ, following on from similar research in 2007 and 2008. The Curia Market Research poll surveyed 1,000 people, and also found huge confusion over the legal effect of the law.

    83% said that the new law should be changed to state explicitly that parents who give their children a smack that is reasonable and for the purpose of correction are not breaking the law (85% in 2008, 82% in 2007).

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    KEY FINDINGS
    83% say the law should be changed – only 13% say to keep it as is
    77% says the law won’t help reduce the rate of child abuse in NZ
    Less than one third of respondents actually understand the law
    _________________________________________________________________

    “This is essentially the same question that will be put to NZ’ers in the Referendum at the end of July. The government can save $8 million of taxpayer funding towards the cost of running the Referendum during a recession, and amend the law now,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

    Respondents were also asked whether the new law makes it always illegal for parents to give their children a light smack. 55% said yes, 31% said no, and 14% didn’t know.

    “This proves just how confusing the law is to parents and it is this confusion that is causing huge harm. Parents have been given conflicting messages by the promoters of the law, legal opinions have contradicted each other, and on top of that is police discretion but not CYF discretion to investigate.”

    “Parents have a right to know whether they are parenting within the law or not. This law has just created confusion and as a result, good parents are being victimised,” says Mr McCoskrie. “Meanwhile, the rate of child abuse continues. This flawed law must be fixed and the real causes of child abuse confronted.”

    The poll was conducted during the week beginning March 9, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.2%.

    ENDS

    www.familyfirst.org.nz | About us | Media Centre | Contact Us | Support Us

  • School Bullying Expected Outcome of Social Agenda

    MEDIA RELEASE 16 March 2009

    School Bullying Expected Outcome of Social Agenda

    Family First NZ says that concerns about school bullying are a simple result of the culture we have experimented with, which includes children’s rights, media standards, undermining the role of parents, and removing consequences.

    “Why are we surprised by bullying and violence in our schools when children are fed this material through the media constantly,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Kids are bullying each other, kids are bullying teachers, kids are bullying parents. Bullying is not just a school problem, and it’s not just a youth problem.”

    “We cannot continue to feed the minds of our young people with the level of violence, sexual content and disrespect for authority that is prevalent in the media and our culture without it affecting the minds of some of our most impressionable and at-risk teenagers and children.”

    “But schools are suffering in particular because they are being forced by the Ministry of Education to put up with increasing levels of unacceptable behaviour and are being criticised for suspending these students.”

    “It is also significant that as schools have removed corporal punishment, schools have become more dangerous. School yard bullying by pupils on other pupils and staff is now the new form of ‘corporal punishment’ in schools.”

    “All of these young people have entered a system of education and society where discipline and responsibility are being replaced by the politically correct nonsense of children’s rights. Ironically, this has been pushed by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner who is now crying foul.”

    “The anti-smacking law has also undermined the role of parents, has failed to understand the special relationship and functioning of families, and has communicated to some children that they are now in the ‘driving seat’ and parents should be put in their place.”

    Sweden, one of the first countries to ban smacking in 1979 suffered a similar fate with assaults by kids increasing 672% in the 13 years following the ban. A recent UN report on European Crime and Safety found that Sweden had one of the worst assault and sexual violence rates in EU.

    “Student behaviour and bullying will continue to deteriorate for as long as we tell them that their rights are more important than their responsibilities, that proper parental authority is undermined by politicians and subject to the rights of their children, and that there will be no consequences of any significance or effectiveness for what they do,” says Mr McCoskrie.

    ENDS

    For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

    Bob McCoskrie – National Director

    Mob. 027 55 555 42

  • Infant to be buried today

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2253294/Infant-to-be-buried-today