| Helen Clark still smiles | The Kiwi Party Press Release |
| November 18, 2008 | |
| While we can rejoice in the change of Government that has occurred in NZ we should all realise that defeated Prime Minister Helen Clark will still be wearing a big smile after reading the supply and confidence agreements signed yesterday by ACT, UF and the Maori Party.
Why? Because none of them contain any initiatives to reverse and dismantle the consequences of her Governments family deconstruction policies over the last nine years. Many commentators have acknowledged that the anti-smacking law passed by 113 MPs in the last Parliament was the piece of legislation that led to the downfall of Helen Clark and the Labour Government. The subject arose time and again during the campaign yet none of the support parties have given any assurance to the citizens of this country that the referendum to be held on Aug 21st on the question, “Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence?” will be respected. It is particularly disappointing that Rodney Hide and the ACT Party ,who campaigned widely on their commitment to repeal the anti-smacking law, have not secured a commitment from John Key for the result of the referendum to be binding. Prostitution law reform, same sex marriage, (Civil Unions) abortion on demand and the criminalising of good parents for smacking their children are issues that none of the partners to the new Government seem prepared to use their influence to address. Underage girls will still be able to be taken from school to the nearest abortion clinic without parental notification or consent. The lowering of the drinking age which has been widely acknowledged to have been a mistake goes unmentioned, as does the awful problems of drug and alcohol addiction and abuse, and the lack of detox and rehabilitation facilities needed to treat those with these problems. There is no mention of policies to address our high rates of family breakdown, family violence and child abuse that are at the very core of our social problems, and nothing to promote a stronger and healthier marriage culture in this country without which we will never see a reduction in fatherless young criminals appearing before our youth court. The Kiwi traditional common law rights to hunt and fish to put food on the family table will continue to be threatened with no mention in any agreement of support for the Kahawai Legal Challenge. Recreational fishers still face their battle with the Ministry of Fisheries over the depletion of the fish stock in the inshore-shared fishery. It also looks like the Department of Conservation, Animal Health Board and Regional Councils will be able continue their insane campaign of dropping 1080 poison that will one day ruin our clean green image and potentially affect our primary exports. Helen Clark ‘s new society looks set to remain intact. New Zealand will never be the same again; at least not if it is left up to National and it’s allies ACT, UF and the Maori Party to reverse these things in the next three years. |
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Are you for, or against the child smacking law? |
| Thanks for voting | 6602 votes since Nov 14 2008 |
| All for it |  17% |
1139 votes |
| Definitely against it | 80% |
5284 votes |
| Don’t care | 3% |
179 votes |
Our Home….Our Castle
http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4761488a6009.html
Dad who smacked loses son
Katie Wylie and Nelson Mail – The Press | Saturday, 15 November 2008
A Christchurch man has lost custody of his young son despite his trial on assault charges being abandoned.
Rowan James Flynn, 53, was this week scheduled to stand trial in Nelson on five charges of assaulting his 12-year-old son, then aged 11.
He also faced one charge of assaulting a female and two charges of leaving a child under 14 without reasonable supervision.
Nelson District Court Judge Tony Zohrab discharged Flynn after the Crown offered no evidence on the assault charges.
Prosecutor Janine Bonifant said the decision did not mean the Crown believed the alleged offences had not taken place.
Flynn, an unemployed father-of-four now living in a caravan in Christchurch, was charged after his son called the police from the family’s Nelson home.
He had allegedly hit his son about five times on the bottom with a wooden spoon after he was disobedient, and he said it was a “tiny issue” that blew up.
He said he had also “clipped” his son around the face but, as a Christian, believed the Bible condoned his disciplinary methods.
“I smacked him but I never assaulted him,” he said. “When he was in a defiant mood there was just no dealing with him.
“I do very strongly believe in smacking children as a means of correction.”
Yesterday, he learned that Child, Youth and Family (CYF) has interim custody of his son and that he may not contact the boy, who is now living with Flynn’s sister in Nelson, without consent and supervision.
“It’s absolutely disgusting. There was no need for it and it is just a clear and blatant abuse of (CYF’s) powers,” he said.
“Obviously, he doesn’t like getting his bum smacked, but that’s the whole point. I do not pose a threat to him at all.”
CYF general manager of operations, Lorraine Williams, said: “While criminal charges may have been dropped, in this case, on the balance of probabilities, we still have concerns for the boy’s safety and will continue to work with his family for a successful outcome.”
Nelson police have defended their decision to prosecute Flynn as correct and in the public interest.
Family First New Zealand national director Bob McCoskrie said the withdrawal of the charges was proof that good parents trying to deal with unacceptable behaviour from their children were being dragged before the courts without evidence to back up the charges.
“This case adds to our growing list of parents who are either being convicted, charged or investigated for attempting to correct their children in the most appropriate and effective way,” he said.
Children’s Commissioner Cindy Kiro said Flynn’s methods of discipline were not justified.
“It doesn’t wash, frankly. There is no justification for violence against children and people who think that there is basically need to learn some new techniques,” she said.
“They need to learn that in fact violence begets violence and this is no way to treat children.”
Children’s Commissioner Survey Says Nothing New
Family First NZ is welcoming a Children’s Commissioner survey which says that only 20% of those surveyed disagreed with smacking in certain circumstances.
“This is consistent with all other polls done throughout the year including research commissioned by Family First – that there is an 80% opposition to the anti-smacking law because most people know that smacking for the purpose of correction is not child abuse,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
“The 43% support for the law change would include a large number of people who are optimistic about the police discretion clause introduced at the eleventh hour.”
“However, recent evidence suggests that their optimism may not be justified. Only yesterday, a father who was charged with smacking had all charges dropped just before the court case was due to start.”
“This is not the first time this has happened,” says Mr McCoskrie. “And there has also been plenty of evidence of good parents being convicted, investigated and reported as a result of a law that the authors and supporters cannot definitively tell parents as to whether smacking is, isn’t, has been or hasn’t been banned as a result of the law change.”
However, Family First is concerned that only 80% said that children should be protected from assault.
“This figure should be 100%. But the Children’s Commissioner has simply caused confusion by misrepresenting the effect of the law and the difference between assault and a light smack.”
“This is yet more wasted government funding on information that has told us nothing new, done by an office trying to justify its existence,” says Mr McCoskrie.
Family First is calling for the Families Commission and Children’s Commission to be replaced by a Minister of Families in Cabinet.
ENDS
For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:
Bob McCoskrie – National Director
3 November 2008
Schools Failing To Tackle Violence
Family First NZ says that schools are being forced to turn a ‘blind eye’ to increasingly unacceptable behaviour and violence because of a drive by the Ministry of Education to reduce the numbers of suspensions and expulsions.
The comments follow a Close Up programme which highlighted a vicious and unprovoked attack and yet the offender is still at the school and the victim (and family) is still be victimised by the inappropriate response of the school.
“It seems ironic that as we are saying no to violence within families and our community, schools are tolerating an unacceptable level of violence, sexual and offensive behaviour and intimidation,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
A Ministry of Education report earlier this year trumpeted a fall in school suspensions, and at the time Minister of Education Chris Carter heralded it as a ‘concerted effort by schools supported by the ministry’.
“Yet Education Ministry figures in 2007 revealed that violence and dangerous behaviour is on the rise in schools with more pupils assaulting teachers and classmates, and the Post Primary Teachers Association called for more resources to deal with difficult pupils and for zero tolerance toward violence and abuse,” says Mr McCoskrie.
Ironically, Family First uncovered figures which the Ministry had buried showing a 37 per cent surge in primary school disciplinary actions. Primary schools are reporting increasingly violent misbehaviour by children as young as five.
The presidents of the Canterbury and national principals’ associations backed up recent comments by a high school principal who said “Because it’s an election year, the Government is trying to make sure the statistics look really good.”
“The Ministry of Education is burying both its head and the extent of the problem in the sand, and both staff and young people are being put at risk by the unacceptable behaviour of a minority who know that the consequences are negligible,” says Mr McCoskrie.
ENDS
For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:
Bob McCoskrie – National Director
2 November 2008
Voters Deliver Verdict on Anti-Smacking Law
Family First NZ says that John Key and the National government should respond to the concerns of voters now rather than later, and amend the anti-smacking law to protect good parents.
“The Labour government was punished and the Greens failed to achieve their potential because of the opposition and anger over the anti-smacking law,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
“Even so-called left wing commentators like Chris Trotter acknowledge that Labour was punished by losing up to 100,000 potential voters because of ramming through the law, and many voters were wary of supporting either Labour or the Greens because of this and similar “nanny state” laws and regulations such as shower pressure and dictating what’s in school lunchboxes. Many Labour supporters simply stayed home because of their opposition to the anti-smacking law.”
“National should acknowledge this and win the respect of the NZ voters by amending the law.. This would prevent good parents being investigated and persecuted for non-abusive correction.”
“With the support of ACT, there are the numbers in parliament to deal with this issue effectively and efficiently.”
“A costly Referendum is completely unnecessary. The voters have already spoken and it simply reinforces what countless polls and the two petitions, which gained over 600,000 signatures in total, have said.”
“It’s time we targeted actual child abuse and left good parents the freedom to raise great kids,” says Mr McCoskrie.
ENDS
For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:
MEDIA RELEASE
11 November 2008
Call for Minister of Families in New Government
Family First NZ is repeating its call for a Minister of Families to be appointed to the Cabinet of the new government.
“It is time that families were given the status they deserve,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Governments have tinkered with Families Commissions and a Children’s Commissioner, both which have been unable to, or have failed to, fully represent the concerns and needs of families.”
“It also fails to acknowledge that families and children are not mutually exclusive.”
“A Minister of Families at the Cabinet table will be party to all decisions made which affect families. Commissions are simply a way of saying “we acknowledge you but we’re not going to give you too much authority or input.”
“We currently have Cabinet Ministers for disabled, senior citizens, youth, Maori, veterans, women’s affairs – even the rugby world cup. It’s time we stopped paying lip service to our most important asset – strong families,” says Mr McCoskrie.
“It’s time the government put families at the head table.”
ENDS
For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:
Bob McCoskrie JP – National Director
Tel. 09 261 2426 | Mob. 027 55 555 42