Family Integrity

Author: HEF Admin

  • Kiwi Party Outlines Plans for Changes to Referenda Law

    Embargoed till 11AM August 9th.

    Announcing the results of the audit on the petition to force a referendum on the ‘Anti-smacking’ law, party leader Larry Baldock also outlined The Kiwi Party’s pledge to make changes to the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act (CIR) at its National Conference this weekend in Auckland.

    “We are now certain to have a referendum which is great news. The audit carried out on the more than 390,000 signatures collected and handed in to parliament on 23rd June, has given sufficient valid signatures to assure the referendum should proceed as planned. The Government Statistician now has until 23rd August to complete their final analysis of the results before the Clerk delivers the verdict to the Speaker of the House. Based on the Chief Electoral Officer’s audit, I am very confident we will have succeeded. It has been a huge task and I am relieved that this stage of our fight against this undemocratic and stupid law is now over.” Mr Baldock said

    “The Kiwi Party would make three changes to the current arrangements for Referenda:

    “Decrease to 5% of the electoral role the requirement needed to force a referendum.  The current rate of 10% is too high and why so few ever succeed, and probably the way the National and Labour parties like it to be. While 42 CIR petitions have been started, only three have been completed in the past 14 years. Confirmation of the referendum on the ‘Anti-smacking’ law would be the fourth.

    “Make referenda binding when they concern legislation already passed by Parliament.

    “In the future, make all Private Members Bills subject to referenda before becoming law.

    “It is of course disappointing that the Prime Minister is afraid to hold the referendum at the election, but her actions will only delay the inevitable.

    “To ensure this referendum is respected it is essential that The Kiwi Party receives the support of those concerned about the Government trying to tell parents how to raise their children. We have a message to the good parents of New Zealand. Give the Kiwi Party your vote at this year’s election, and once the result of the referendum is known, we pledge to make sure it is gone by lunchtime.” Mr Baldock said.

    Ends

    Contact
    Larry Baldock Party Leader

    021864833

    www.thekiwiparty.org.nz

  • Tantrums

    Ask A Toddler – Special Delivery#1: “How To Throw A Tantrum”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLKukwm9ODo

    “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child……..”

  • Cindy Kiro’s got her hand in your wallet

    This blog is worth reading:

    http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2008/08/cindy-kiros-got-her-hand-in-your-wallet.html

  • Pro-life is cool

    http://equipbiz.co.nz/files/prolife/pro-life-cool.jpg

  • Baby fighting for life after incident at home: abuse suspected

    This is not Reasonable Force by way of correction it is child Abuse:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/4643858a11.html

    Baby fighting for life after incident at home

    By SALLY FRENCH – Stuff.co.nz | Tuesday, 05 August 2008
    SHANE WENZLICK/Surburban Newspapers

    INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY: A police cordon surrounds the house in Papakura.

    A baby is fighting for his life in Auckland’s Starship Children’s Hospital after suffering non-accidental head injuries.

    Counties Manukau detective inspector John Tims said the Papakura child was taken to Middlemore Hospital by ambulance about 9.30pm on Saturday before being transferred to Starship Hospital.

    Tims said police were advised the injuries are non-accidental and potentially life threatening.

    He said the baby’s parents and maternal grandmother have all provided statements to police.

    “We want to acknowledge the family are co-operating with us.

    “The parents are at their son’s bedside and we are working with them,” Tims said.

    The boy lived at his parent’s home with his 18-month-old brother, and maternal grandmother.  The parents are aged 18 and 19.

    Tims said Children and Young Persons have been advised of the situation, and are working with Police in regards to the boy’s elder sibling.

    A specialist child abuse investigative team are conducting a scene examination at the baby’s Papakura home today, assisted by ESR specialists.

    Tims said police are in constant liaison with a paediatrician at Starship Hospital.

    “We will provide an update on the baby’s medical condition should there be any changes,” he said..

    More on this:

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/16315/infant-fights-life-abuse-suspected

    Infant fights for life: abuse suspected

    A 4-month-old boy is in a critical condition in Starship Hospital after suffering head injuries at his South Auckland home.

    The baby was rushed to hospital on Saturday night before undergoing surgery on Sunday for what police believe are “non-accidental” head injuries received at his Papakura home.

    The Housing NZ home was yesterday cordoned off while police began investigations into what is suspected to be a case of serious child abuse……………..

    Neighbours yesterday knew little about the family who lived at the run-down home.

    One woman said parties were always being held there and people came and went at all hours.

    Another woman said police had arrived at the house about six months ago.

    Moments after they arrived, all the people in the house came out with their hands above their heads.

    She believed it was in relation to drug dealing at the house.

    Yesterday, an alcohol box and several empty beer bottles lay on the unmowed lawn, alongside other bits of rubbish.

    The front window was smashed and shards of glass lay on the ground.

    A child’s stroller could be seen behind a net curtain next to the broken window.

    Children’s Commissioner Dr Cindy Kiro said she was shocked and saddened to hear another child had been injured.

    “It’s terrible. Can you just imagine what these kids go through? Often it’s not the first time. There’s often a whole lot of precipitating things that lead up to the last incident where the child or baby is being abused,” she said.

    Dr Kiro is due to present a package of actions to tackle child abuse to a family violence taskforce this week.

    New Zealand has the third highest rate of infanticide of all the countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

  • Parents Reject Anti-Smacking Bill

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0808/S00017.htm

    Parents Reject Anti-Smacking Bill

    Saturday, 2 August 2008, 4:07 pm
    Press Release: Family First

    MEDIA RELEASE

    87% Of Parents of Young Children Reject Anti-Smacking Bill

    Family First NZ says that the Littlies website poll which found that 87% of parents of young children don’t think the anti-smacking law is effective is confirmation that NZ’ers have soundly rejected the law change and its time the politicians listened and changed it.

    The www.littlies.co.nz poll asked “One year on, do you think the anti-smacking Bill has proved to be effective?” 87% said No, and a further 7% were unsure. Only 7% said it was effective.

    According to their website, Littlies Magazine is the country’s fastest growing and only monthly parenting magazine. They reach more families with children 0-5 years than any other parenting magazine in New Zealand (81,000 families).

    “This is the voice of kiwi parents. The opposition to the anti-smacking law is just as strong as it was when it was first pushed by the Prime Minister and Sue Bradford,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ, “and follows on from other polls which have recorded similar opposition.”

    A Research International poll in February found that 74% parents believed it should be legal to smack; a Family First commissioned poll in May found that 85% wanted the law changed to allow light smacking; a TVNZ website poll in June found that 85% wanted the anti-smacking law scrapped; and a NZ Herald poll in June found that 81% wanted a referendum on the smacking legislation at this year’s election.

    “The anti-smacking lobby has tried to argue that NZ’ers have changed their mind on the legislation and that the 390,000 NZ’ers who signed the petition were either misled or have changed their mind. These arguments have been found wanting and smack of desperation,” says Mr McCoskrie.

    “It’s time to tackle the real causes of child abuse, violence and crime without criminalising the efforts of good parents raising productive and law-abiding citizens of the future.”

    “NZ can lead the world by being the first country to reverse this flawed law before its effects are fully felt by families and the community,” says Mr McCoskrie.

    ENDS

  • Police ‘Taxi Service’ for Truant Sets Dangerous Precedent

    Original article:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/4642055a11.html

    MEDIA RELEASE

    August 2008

    Police ‘Taxi Service’ for Truant Sets Dangerous Precedent

    Family First NZ says that a dangerous precedent is being set by the police by taxiing a truanting 14 year old to school every morning, and fails to deal with the underlying problems.

    “The causes of truancy are predominantly a lack of parental supervision or a breakdown in the functioning of the family to the point that the parent has no control over the actions of the child,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

    “In this case, reported from Christchurch and under a new scheme called Rock On, the police are simply fulfilling the role of the parent and are providing a short term solution to a potentially longer term problem.”

    “The problem, which is becoming more common, is that a student is being left to fend for themselves – in this case from 6.15 in the morning. Schools are already expressing concerns that children are being dropped off at schools earlier and earlier.”

    30,000 students are absent without leave every week in NZ, and the truancy rate has increased 41% since 2002.

    “Research is quite clear that parental supervision needs to be in place at key times of the day, including before and straight after school, to ensure that the child doesn’t become at-risk.”

    “Unfortunately, the expectation on both parents to work, economic pressures on families, and the hours that parents work, means that children and teenagers are more likely to be unsupervised at key times,” says Mr McCoskrie. “Shift work can also mean that mum and dad are at home at completely separate times for their kids.”

    “It is time we expected and enabled parents to fulfil their important and essential role of supervising their children rather than trying to put ‘rescue nets’ and programmes in place which simply mask the problem.”

    “But this will mean a huge ‘mind-shift’ in terms of respecting the role of parents and supporting that role.”

    ENDS

    For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

    Bob McCoskrie – National Director

    Mob. 027 55 555 42

  • The Repeal of Parental Authority and Turning Parents into Criminals

    The Repeal of Parental Authority and Turning Parents into Criminals

    This pamphlet will first look at Section 59; then at the Bill; then at what might be called the “Unintended Consequences” of the Bill; then finally make some recommendations.

    When we changed websites these brochures were lost in the change. Sorry this was not picked up until now. We have been asked to put these back on our website. This brochure was written half way through the Section 59 debate.

  • THE CHRISTIAN FOUNDATIONS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CORPORAL CORRECTION-For reading on the website

    For reading on the website:

    THE CHRISTIAN FOUNDATIONS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CORPORAL CORRECTION

    What does the Bible have to say about…
     Why we need to smack
     What we use to smack
     What we are trying to achieve
     How we do it
     The tongue-lashing alternative

    When we changed websites these brochures were lost in the change. Sorry this was not picked up until now. We have been asked to put these back on our website. These brochures were written before Sue Bradford’s Section 59 Bill was pulled out of the Ballot.