Author: HEF Admin

  • The NZ ‘anti-correction law’ and the referendum – your ‘unemotional’ guide to Section 59

    A brief, clear, unemotional, analysis for Kiwis of Sue Bradford’s ‘anti-correction law’. See it for yourself and find out what it means! Be confused no more! And vote ‘NO!’ in the referendum in August!

  • 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.