Reformation TestimonyThe criminalisation of New Zealand parents who discipline their children biblically: Or who will you obey, God or man? New Zealand has a new law which makes the corporal punishment of children a crime. This includes smacking them with a wooden spoon or strap. The government has commissioned two reports, both of which claim that parents are unaffected by the new law. But the reporters failed to ask even one parent how he feels about this unwarranted government intrusion into his life. On some occasions the charges brought by the police have been dismissed in court. But the police, the psychologists, the ‘welfare’ agencies and the politicians are quite happy to see parents investigated, prosecuted and punished for using corporal punishment on children. Parents are now intimidated by unruly children who threaten to report their parents to the police if a parent dare touch them. Parental authority has been undermined by this wicked legislation. A government is supposed to reward the good and punish evil (Romans 13:1-7), but in New Zealand rewards the evildoer and punishes the good. Prime Minister Key claims that parents won’t be investigated for giving a ‘light’ smack, but if there is some other connected issue, then the police will investigate. Of course what constitutes a connected issue is left unexplained. The facts are that family members have been investigated for the most trivial acts of discipline which have been redefined as assaults. For the video response to the latest government spin go here:
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Author: HEF Admin
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Reviewing the Anti-smacking law
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Family Integrity #494 — What others are doing – Copenhagen conference
Dear Friends,
Some highly motivated sheep and beef farmers, farming off the East Coast of the North Island, recently organized to expose “Climategate” here !
They presented a 10,000+ signature petition to Parliament on 25 November, with the main thrust being, “government should not commit to signing anything at Copenhagen as it would bring excessive hardship to NZ families, and no measurable benefit to the climate.”
Their excellent website is www.climaterealists.org.nz
On the website is the petition presented to Parliament, plus there are pages of facts, costs, articles, downloads, contributions, & various other pertinent links.
Please sign up for the “Climate Realists‘ Newsletter” on the homepage of the website !
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Stop beating on Sweden’s parents!
Stop beating on Sweden’s parents!
By Caroline Olsson
Translation: Ruby Harrold-Claesson, Lawyer, President of the NCHR
This article was previously published on the Swedish Internet Site, Newsmill.se – 2009-12-03
http://www.newsmill.se/artikel/2009/12/03/sluta-sla-pa-sveriges-foraldrar
Swedish authorities and legal institutions have a negative attitude towards parenthood, which is not good for the relationship between children and parents. Many children need more time with their parents to feel safe. Now the government intends be even stricter with school attendance, and even prevent parents who want to take care of their children’s schooling, so-called Home-schooling. They are also negative to children’s absence from school for travel with their families, and in general they announce “tougher measures” which will not help the confused children.Children need their parents as life-coaches, but there is so little time in today’s stressful society. Children need a solid relationship with an adult to find their identity, and develop their personalities in a natural way.
Swedish society does not respect parenthood. Parents are seen as some sort of service to the school system, which will ensure the provision of children who are rested, fed, have done their homework and are interested in going to school.I am sure that very many of the problems of today’s society, have arisen precisely because time for children and parents to be together has shrunk. This has happened gradually, and perhaps imperceptibly. We have given priority to other things, and now we need to wake up and see that too many children are suffering.
Those in power do not see this connection, so now they want to legislate more stringent attendance at school and even “tougher measures”. They want to prevent parents who have the opportunity to take responsibility for their children’s schooling, so-called Home-schooling, by requiring “special reasons”. It will also be more difficult to get time off from school for example to travel with the family. They have not tried to find out how very many children suffer today in the schools, due to bullying, harassment, and the like. Politicians talk about the “right to education”, as if there are no problems in the schools. Many children and young people are experiencing the “right” to attend school and social interaction, which the politicians are talking about, rather like a prison and a torment. A very large proportion of children today are exhibiting anxiety about going to school.
Politicians say: “We must have schools, because we have had them since the 1800s.” Usually it would not be so modern for you to say that something is from the 1800s. We are living in a completely different society now. Back then they wanted to increase public knowledge. But now the level of education of most adults is much higher than primary school, so now there is no reason to force all children to go to school, if the parents have other options.
The Government’s new Education Act Bill sends out a very serious message to all the parents in this country. We are now being prohibited from giving our children a better alternative to going to school. Parents are simply not allowed to judge what is good for their own children.
Sweden needs a new approach to parenthood. We need to see parents as experts on their children. The solution is not to pull children away from their parents even more, but to support children and parents, to make use of all the time they can get to spend together.
Sweden is selling out the immense power that parents’ responsibility for their children represents. This is a disaster. We cannot afford to do without it. It is upon that power that a society rests. If you who are in power continue to display this negative attitude, you will undermine the whole society. You cannot replace parenting by doubling the number of school nurses and counsellors. Parenthood cannot be substituted at all. Your animosity towards parents will only cost countless extra billions.
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The video clips below are an absolute must – Copenhagen conference
The video clips below are an absolute must.
Copenhagen conference, in session right now (Thursday 10 Dec 2009 NZ time), is planning to set up a type of world government that will heavily control economics in the name of (the total fraud called) global warming.
“Climategate” is the fraud of global warming that was only recently exposed, but which has hardly been mentioned in NZ…it is huge in the USA and UK. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/KiwiSmithFamily/World%2BViews%2Bin%2BFocus/
Craig & Barbara Smith
Home Education Foundation
Ph. +64 6 357-4399
Lord Monckton Returns to Alex Jones TV To Talk About The Scientific Fraud Taking Place At Copenhagen
Alex Jones of Infowars.com welcomes back to the show Lord Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, British politician, business consultant, policy adviser, writer, columnist, inventor and adviser to Margaret Thatcher’s policy unit in the 1980s. Monckton is a vociferous critic of the climate scam gang. He reports from the summit.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZW-BF70TsI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHSjCulvb_o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6bXxC1d_rE
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Some Correction Needed, But John Key says it’s OK!
From Family First NZ
Some Correction
Needed
But John Key says it’s OK!
Prime Minister John Key and Nigel Latta say the anti-smacking law is working well, that there is no evidence of good parents being criminalised, that Family First has been misled by parents , and that light smacking shouldn’t be a criminal offence . So here’s some questions:
* Why did CYF formally apologise to this family for the way they handled a smacking complaint?
CYFS says sorry to ‘traumatised’ family
NZ Herald Jul 31, 2009
* Why did this parent get prosecuted ?
‘I asked for help but instead got conviction’
NZ Herald Jul 28, 2009 A Wellington solo father says he went to Child, Youth and Family Services for help – and ended up with a conviction for smacking his daughter.
* Why was this family investigated and referred to a government agency?
School dobs mum to CYF for hand smack
Sunday Star Times Oct 28 2007
* The law (and Plunket / Barnardos / Childrens Commissioner / Families Commissioner) says a smack is illegal . But John Key says its acceptable and shouldn’t be a criminal offence . Who’s correct ?
“Lightly smacking a child will be in the course of parenting for some parents and I think that’s acceptable,” Mr Key said. Asked if he had just said it was acceptable to lightly smack a child, Mr Key replied “Yes, I think so” and said the law was clear that such matters should not be treated as a criminal offence [that is only true if the smack is not ‘for the purposes of correction’ and is given for one of the permitted reasons. “It’s up to individual parents to decide how they’re going to parent their children. My view is that it will depend on the circumstances and how you want to raise your child,” Mr Key said – Source NZ Herald
(By the way, we agree!!)
* Why didn’t the report interview and seek feedback from kiwi parents as to what effect it has had on their parenting?
* Why didn’t the report address the issue of children dobbing in their own parents , and threatening to report them to the police or CYF?
* Why didn’t the report address the concern expressed by police and youth workers regarding the increasing rate of assaults by young people on their parents ?
* Why didn’t the report address the procedural conflict between the smacking law which allows ‘discretion’ versus the family violence policy which demands zero tolerance?
* Why didn’t the report address why so many cases of what are supposed to be serious ‘assaults’ are receiving inconsequential punishments , and why so many investigations are ending up with a warning and in many cases, no action at all?
* Why didn’t the report address the effect of criminalising an action (light smacking for the purpose of correction) which most NZ’ers simply don’t believe should be treated as a criminal offence under the law.WHY?
When we get some answers we’ll let you know!But please be aware – the latest report does not answer these important questions .
Have a great week 
Bob McCoskrie
National Director -
Law continues to be a dog’s breakfast
The Kiwi Party
Press ReleaseLaw continues to be a dog’s breakfast
Kiwi Party leader and Anti-smacking referendum organiser Larry Baldock called on the Prime Minister to stop wasting taxpayers money defending the indefensible!
“Let’s understand what John Key is saying,” said Mr Baldock. “He is advising parents to break the law if they want to by smacking their children if they believe that is the right thing to do. Then he spends our money setting up a special hotline for those good parents who may have some pangs of conscience about breaking the law so they can ring in for reassurance about their criminal activity. Why not just change the law?
“All this comes after yet another report that has wasted more of our taxes, to defend a law that the PM called a dog’s breakfast.
“The truth is John Key is afraid of Sue Bradford and all her anti-smackers. He will cling to any excuse to hold the line, rather than upset a small minority that have made it clear there will be ‘hell to pay’ if they are not listened too and obeyed.
“That is why John Key said, “All I can tell you is if we went back and changed the law this is what I think would happen. There would be a very intense debate in NZ and those that are opposed to smacking could run a very ferocious campaign and at the end of that process right or wrong, some people would feel quite differently about it.” (JK Family Forum Sept 18, 2009)
“It is ironic that the majority that have followed lawful and peaceful means of protesting this crazy law are ignored, while the Prime Minister bows to those whom he thinks would engage in a very ferocious campaign!
Ends
Contact
Larry Baldock
021864833 -
Latest Smacking Law Review Offers No Comfort
Family First NZ
MEDIA RELEASE
7 December 2009
Latest Smacking Law Review Offers No Comfort
Family First NZ is dismissing yet another report on the anti-smacking law which fails to address the real issues and concerns over the law change.
“This is the eighth report in just over two years on the law change. There have never been so many reports in such a short time frame on a law change in an attempt to sell it,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “The police have done six reports, a report from the ministry of Social Development, and now this report commissioned by the Prime Minister in response to the overwhelming rejection of the law in the recent Referendum.”
“We weren’t expecting miracles in this report because one of the panel members Peter Hughes from the MSD has only recently released a report where he admits that he cannot conclude whether the law is achieving its purpose, and he cannot conclusively say that good parents are not being criminalized or victimized by this law with unnecessary state intervention. This is primarily because he doesn’t talk to them!”
“A senior police office who examined the prosecutions of a number of parents as a result of the new law says that without exception, the public interest was not served in pursuing prosecutions.”
“In the latest report, it fails in the following areas:
- it fails to address the concerns of kiwi parents as to what effect it has had on their parenting
- it fails to address the issue of children dobbing in their own parents, and threatening to report them to the police or CYF
- it fails to address the concern expressed by police and youth workers regarding the increasing rate of assaults by young people on their parents
- it fails to address the procedural conflict between the smacking law which allows ‘discretion’ versus the family violence police which demands zero tolerance
- it fails to address why so many cases of what are supposed to be ‘assaults’ are receiving inconsequential punishments, and why so many investigations are ending up with a warning and in many cases, no action at all
- it fails to address the effect of criminalising an action (light smacking for the purpose of correction) which most NZ’ers simply don’t believe should be treated as a criminal offence under the law.”
“This report is another government-funded sales pitch for a flawed law which has been resoundingly rejected by New Zealanders. John Key promised ‘comfort’ for parents, but it’s not comforting when he ignores almost 90% in a referendum, and retains a law which he admits is a ‘dog’s breakfast’, badly drafted, and extremely vague.”
“A law that requires so many compromises, guidelines, helplines, reviews, and parent education could be easily fixed with a simple amendment-the Boscawen amendment. That’s what parents deserve” says Mr McCoskrie.
ENDS
For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:
Bob McCoskrie – National Director
Mob. 027 55 555 42
Related document:
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The Climategate Scandal
The Climategate Scandal. (Part 1) 5.25 min
The Climategate Scandal. (Part 2) 3.45 min
The Climategate Scandal. (Part 3) 1.23min