Family Integrity

Author: HEF Admin

  • Coming Events – Queens Birthday W/e and June 2008

    Collecting signatures for the CIR – Section 59

    Queens’s Birthday weekend

    Gore

    I am calling on you all to make contact with people that you may know to
    help collect signatures this week during the Gold Guitars in Gore. This
    is a big event and some help would be super. There will be busking
    Thursday, Friday and Saturday so I do need to plan with H&J Smith’s.
    All that is required is a warm coat, gloves, hat and a smile. Come along
    to The Gold Guitar events at the same time. Gore is the place to be this
    Queens Birthday weekend.

    Natalie
    Phone 0272174666

    Christchurch are going hard at it this weekend with plans to collect at the

    Super 14 final, the Marathon and also a motor-cross event.

    Andy

    phone: 03 357 4599 (or) 021 1140 751.

    “““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`

    Auckland the weekend of June 7 & 8 through to June 14th June.

    It will be tables on footpaths in normal shopping areas, (not malls) for a

    few hours everyday over lunchtimes. Can I please hear from anyone who

    could volunteer some time for this in Auckland

    Craig Hill
    021746113

    “““““““““““““““““““““““““““““

    Hamilton to include efforts at Mystery Creek June 11-14th if we can get in.

    Larry Baldock
    Phone: 021 86 4833
    Email: l.baldock@xtra.co.nz

    “““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`

    All areas and other people

    It would be fabulous if we all collected what we can over the next three weeks and we were surprised that our total could even grow to 390,000 to match the number in the film ‘Amazing Grace’ where William Wilberforce rolled out the petition in the House of Commons and shouted, “No matter how loud you shout you will not drown out the voice of the people!”


    If everyone reading this could spend even 1 hour at a table on the street and collect just another 40 signatures we could do it!

    Let’s make sure they hear us!

    Remember to ask if people have already signed. No duplicates!

  • FI385-U4L; It’s now or never

    30 May 2008 – Family Integrity #385 — U4L; It’s now or never

    —–Original Message—–
    From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
    Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 7:51 AM
    To: Craig; Craig
    Subject: U4L; It’s now or never

    Hi All,

    *IT’S NOW OR NEVER,

    *It has been a conscious effort on the part of Unity for Liberty not to
    send out *too many e-mails* over the last few months. But now that we
    are at the business end, all is becoming serious.

    I would like to thank those who have placed their hand to the plow, it
    has been through these efforts on your part that have put us on a
    pathway to keep our politicians honest and restoring common sense to
    this country.

    *HOWEVER: IT’S NOT OVER TILL THE FAT LADY SINGS

    *Larry Baldock explains the current situation below, please read._*

    The new goal.

    At least 370,000

    The final plan.
    We have until the end of June before the final deadline to resubmit the
    petition with all the additional signatures.
    However I am a little concerned that since they take 2 months to
    complete the audit, and then there is another month allowance under the
    Act before the Governor General sets a date I do not want to find that
    the PM has set the election date and dissolved parliament before the
    date for the referendum is set to coincide with polling day.

    We know that the election won’t be before October 1st as that is when
    all the lollies are given out from the budget .However parliament can be
    dissolved 5 weeks before polling day.
    This means Parliament could rise for the elections anytime from about
    the end of Aug.
    My own view, along with many others is that the elections will not be
    until November 15th.
    However it would be wise to get our signatures collected and in as soon
    as possible.

    If we have a good weekend over Queens’s birthday, our total could be
    well over 360,000 by the first week of June. With a concerted effort
    then for the two weeks of June we could reach our new target of 370,000
    by about June 14th and be ready to hand them in.

    I have had discussion with Craig Hill from Unity4Liberty about a final
    effort in Auckland the weekend of June 7 & 8 through to June 14th. It
    will be tables on footpaths in normal shopping areas, (not malls) for a
    few hours everyday over lunchtimes.
    Can I please hear from anyone who could volunteer some time for this in
    Auckland or Hamilton to include efforts at Mystery Creek if we can get in.

    /From Natalie, Southland/

    Hello,
    I am calling on you all to make contact with people that you may know to
    help collect signatures this week during the Gold Guitars in Gore. This
    is a big event and some help would be super. There will be busking
    Thursday, Friday and Saturday so I do need to plan with H&J Smith’s.
    All that is required is a warm coat,gloves, hat and a smile. Come along
    to The Gold Guitar events at the same time. Gore is the place to be this
    Queens Birthday weekend. My prayers will be with you and your team this
    weekend Andy.

    Kind regards
    Natalie
    Phone 0272174666

    From Craig,

    Yes, we are gearing up for a big push in Auckland and Hamilton. Looking
    for all possible assistance.

    Phone 021746113

    *LET’S BRING THIS PUPPY HOME

    Kind Regards

    Craig Hill
    021746113

    http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz

    “All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do
    nothing”     (Edmund Burke 1729-1797)

  • Letters To The Editor-Gisborne Herald

    Change anti-smacking bill

    Letters To The Editor

    http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/Default.aspx?s=3&s1=2&id=d940f08208494429a4590423b5f9b6cf

    Thursday, 29 May 2008
    By George Patterson

    When National becomes the Government, as I’m sure they will, I hope they have another look at the anti-smacking legislation. It is based on flawed ideology.

    I believe the vast majority of New Zealanders are not child-beaters, but we feel that we should have the right to reprimand our youngsters when they have done something wrong. Again, I don’t think my mother caused me any harm when she gave me a slap around the legs with the thin willow switch because I wouldn’t stop kicking the football against the kitchen wall. And when I broke the window and scampered, I know I deserved the couple of swipes she aimed at me.

    I know that the tragic deaths of the Kahui twins and other children suggests the legislation is right. But surely that’s different.

    George Patterson

  • CIR Update no 28

    Hi everyone.
    Well after a few productive days and the joint efforts of Craig Hill from Auckland, Marion, Elspeth and Jo from Tauranga and David and team from Hamilton that collected approx 1200 at the Winter show and other efforts around the country we now have a total of 357,706.

    In our travels around the South Island last month we managed to collect 370 in Invercargill, 170 in Gore, 270 Timaru and 150 in Greymouth. In every place we were simply parked in a parallel park downtown with a table beside the van and three signs out. People were so happy to have a chance to sign. You could make someones day like this also! Some even phoned their friends and they jumped in their cars and came down to sign.

    I know that Christchurch are going hard at it this weekend with plans to collect at the Super 14 final, the Marathon and also a motor-cross event.

    Natalie is going to make her presence felt down south at the Gore Golden Guitars and is looking for any helpers that may be available.

    I am trying hard to find a way into the Mystery Creek field days June 11-14th. If anyone may know of a stall or booth to sublease, or someone that might let us set up a table in one corner of their space, please let me know. The thousands that we could definitely collect there would be a great way to finish the campaign and ensure we have sufficient.

    Media coverage on Monday after Family First’s poll results were excellent and I am confident there are thousands of Kiwis out there desperately wanting to put their name to our petition before it closes off.

    The new goal
    At least 370,000

    The final plan.
    We have until the end of June before the final deadline to resubmit the petition with all the additional signatures.
    However I am a little concerned that since they take 2 months to complete the audit, and then there is another month allowance under the Act before the Governor General sets a date I do not want to find that the PM has set the election date and dissolved parliament before the date for the referendum is set to coincide with polling day.

    We know that the election won’t be before October 1st as that is when all the lollies are given out from the budget .However parliament can be dissolved 5 weeks before polling day.
    This means Parliament could rise for the elections anytime from about the end of Aug. T
    My own view, along with many others is that the elections will not be until November 15th.
    However it would be wise to get our signatures collected and in as soon as possible.

    If we have a good weekend over Queens’s birthday, our total could be well over 360,000 by the first week of June. With a concerted effort then for the two weeks of June we could reach our new target of 270,000 by about June 14th and be ready to hand them in.

    I have had discussion with Craig Hill from Unity4Liberty about a final effort in Auckland the weekend of June 7 & 8 through to June 14th. It will be tables on footpaths in normal shopping areas, (not malls) for a few hours everyday over lunchtimes.


    Can I please hear from anyone who could volunteer some time for this in Auckland or Hamilton to include efforts at Mystery Creek if we can get in.

    It would be fabulous if we all collected what we can over the next three weeks and we were surprised that our total could even grow to 390,000 to match the number in the film ‘Amazing Grace’ where William Wilberforce rolled out the petition in the House of Commons and shouted, “No matter how loud you shout you will not drown out the voice of the people!”


    If everyone receiving this could spend even 1 hour at a table on the street and collect just another 40 signatures we could do it!

    Let’s make sure they hear us!

    Remember to ask if people have already signed. No duplicates!

    Warm regards

    Larry Baldock
    Party Leader Kiwi Party
    Phone: 021 86 4833
    Email: l.baldock@xtra.co.nz

  • NZ Herald editorial reeks of arrogance!

    Responding to the NZ Herald editorial this morning, Petition organiser & Kiwi Party leader Larry Baldock said the author’s opinion would change rapidly if they were a parent and had just received a visit from the Police or CYFS.

    “The author is right about one thing and one thing only. The law change has made no difference to the awful rates of child abuse it was intended to address. When it comes to the 48% of good parent’s in the survey that have admitted to still occasionally smacking their children it is not true to say it has been business as usual. We have heard tens of thousands of Kiwi Parents at our petition tables express that they now operate in a climate of fear. That is what this law change has done and the amendment of John Key has done nothing much to alleviate that.
    The NZ Herald shows an enormous contradiction in their attitude when they railed against the EFA and said it had to be repealed, but are prepared to allow the climate of fear to prevail over the majority of good Mums and Dads in this country with a do nothing about it attitude.

    By publishing the true and accurate accounts of those affected by this law, Bob McCoskrie at Family First has done everyone in this country a service. That is hardly alarmism. There have been many other stories identified but because of the fear of further consequences some have not wanted to publicly tell their stories.

    The arrogance and superior attitude behind the editorial statement “there are, as every sensible parent knows, better ways to correct bad behaviour, but if parents sometimes use more primitive means the law can be reasonable,” makes my blood boil. For thousands of years loving hard working parents have raised healthy well balanced respectful kids by using appropriate physical discipline and this journalist, with a stroke of their pen, feels so enlightened in our modern world to be able to pass judgement upon them by calling their parenting primitive. That is appalling!
    What will definitely create a primitive society and return to us the barbarianism of the past, is the failure to properly discipline children and teach them respect for authority.

    If the author is worried about the debate being stirred up all over again after the election and the referendum I would put their mind at rest. If the Kiwi Party is in a position to exercise influence over a National led government the Bradford Act will be gone by lunchtime. No drawn out select committee with submissions and debates. One session of urgency is all it will take, and good parents will be able to get on with the most important job in this country, that of raising good kids, without having to look over their shoulder all the time to see what liberal do-gooder might be watching and waiting to dobb them in.

    Finally I have to say how disappointing it was to see that the author was unwilling to put their name to their opinion piece. More than 350,000 Kiwis have been concerned enough about the Bradford anti-smacking law that they have placed their name to the petition in broad daylight. Some of them, like police, social workers and Plunket employees have done so while expressing a concern that there have been veiled suggestions that they should not be doing so.
    We undermine our freedom when we lack the courage to put our name to our convictions,” said Mr Baldock.

    Ends
    Contact

    Larry Baldock
    Party Leader Kiwi Party
    Phone: 021 86 4833
    Email: l.baldock@xtra.co.nz

  • NZ Herald Launches Attack on Family First and on Referendum

    The NZ Herald has launched an extraordinary attack this morning on Family First NZ and signatories to the petition demanding a Referendum on the anti-smacking law.

    You can read the Editorial “Spare us a smacking referendum” (which hides behind no name attributed to it) HERE

    It contains a number of disturbing statements:
    “..contrary to the alarmism of Family First..”
    “Why, then, is Mr McCoskrie’s group unable to let this unpleasant subject rest? ..”
    “The public must be heartily sick of this non-issue. Smacking children is simply not worth further debate…”
    “The law has sent the message that violence (     note terminology ) is not the ideal way to correct children..”
    “…spare us a referendum, it would be flogging a dead horse.”

    They also echo the misinterpretation and misrepresentation of the research that Sue Bradford fell into the trap of (as referred to in our previous post). You would expect more thorough and accurate reporting and comment from a newspaper like the NZ Herald.

    If you would like to comment on this Editorial, email letters@nzherald.co.nz
    Letters must not exceed 200 words, and must have full residential address and phone number for verification.

    Thanks for speaking up.

    Bob McCoskrie
    National Director

    www.familyfirst.org.nz

  • Green Party Misinterprets and Misrepresents Research on Anti-smacking Law

    Green Party Misinterprets and Misrepresents Research on Anti-smacking Law
     Green MP Sue Bradford has tried to say that our research on attitudes to the highly unpopular anti-smacking law shows that the number of people smacking has decreased, but she’s comparing ‘apples’ with ‘oranges’.
    Last year (just before the law came into force), we asked ALL respondents (grandparents, parents, people not married, even people without kids!) whether they would ignore the law if they felt it appropriate. Not “had they” but “would they”. 78% said they would. This year we asked only parents with under 12’s whether they actually had flouted the law – a much smaller sample but far more relevant – 48% (51% of mums) admitted flouting the law . Sue Bradford tried to interpret this as a drop from 78% to 48%. But as anyone can see, they are completely different groups in a different setting.
    Significanly though, 51% who admit smacking is the same figure as a government funded poll in 2005. In other words, nothing has changed! Parents are carrying on doing what they know is best – even with the law change.
    The Greens have tried to ‘twist’ the data and the media have failed to pick up on it. The figure they should be taking notice of is the whopping 85% who want the law changed . Let’s hope that Ms Bradford isn’t responsible for global warming statistics as well!!!!!

  • Blog:savethehumans-Do We Need More Smacking?

    Do We Need More Smacking?

    From:

    http://savethehumans.typepad.com/weblog/2008/05/do-we-need-more-smacking.html

    Few parents are keen on smacking as a first resort form of punishment, but as a useful threat or for an immediate impact most parents keep it in reserve, especially for younger children.

    Smacking has perhaps been banned in New Zealand. I say perhaps because there is widespread opposition to the new law (some 80% against) and therefore the law has little credibility.

    Smacking is of course not child abuse. It has its role in discipline as it has for 1000s of years of parenting.

    Is it just me or has the number of child abuse cases risen since the law was passed? Criminals and bullies often operate by transferring the blame for their actions to others. Could it be that these child abusers have decided that they are no longer responsible for their children, but can leave the discipline to others? Do they then get frustrated with the child and lash out?

    Parenting is not easy, and it requires consistency, calmness, plenty of sleep, sufficient gin, a genuine love of children and everything they do, plus a sense of humour. Mother Theresa would not qualify. Yet many of the child abusers we see are incapable of holding down a job, incapable of organising their human relationships (constantly fighting with girlfriends, friends and family) and functioning in society only in a very limited way.

    How do we expect these dropkicks to be good parents? Obviously we can’t. The solution may be to accept that fact, and stop tarring the rest of us with the faults of a few. Another idea would be to stop actively funding the underclass where this sort of abuse happens. Fighting child abuse without fighting for stable two-parent families (where the siblings all have the same parents) is silly. Hansel and Gretal taught us that step-parents often care less.

    Also, why are very young children or babies suffering so badly? Obviously babies can be very annoying. They get in the way of your lifestyle by waking you up in the middle of the night. Very young babies don’t give a lot back, t least until 4 months or so. But do some parents see newborns as ‘not real’, just a thing that hasn’t become a human yet? A candidate for late term abortion? Younger people are not so sentimental about children either.

    There is of course no point in smacking a baby, it is just cruel and pointless since babies really have no idea about free will. I can’t remember at what point children can have some control over their behaviour (that a parent must influence) but I suppose it is around 2 years of age. So smacking as discipline simply isn’t a factor with the recent cases we have seen. No court would agree that smacking a 3 month old is reasonable.

    Of course the other explanation for child abuse is that some people are scumbags. Perhaps we should just leave it at that. Child abuse is illegal and immoral. It was illegal and immoral before parliament’s recent ideological burp. But if Sue Bradford, who promoted the law, was hoping that an attempt to criminalise smacking would fix the problem, she has been proven wrong enough times that we should regard all further ideas from that quarter with fullsome suspicion.

    The law should be repealed.

  • Smacking Poll – NZ’ers Don’t Want to ‘Move On’

    MEDIA RELEASE

    26 MAY 2008

    Smacking Poll – NZ’ers Don’t Want to ‘Move On’

    More than half of our mums with young children flouting the law

    A year after the passing of the controversial anti-smacking law, opposition to the law change is growing. These are the key finding of research commissioned by Family First NZ, following on from similar research in 2007. The poll surveyed 1,018 people and found continued overwhelming opposition to the new law.

    Opposition to the anti-smacking law has increased from 62% last year to 73% now. Only 19% strongly or somewhat agreed with the new law despite the Police discretion clause (down from 29% in June 2007). Almost half of the survey (47%) strongly disagree with the ban on smacking.

    85% 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 (up from 82% last year).

    In a clear message to political parties seeking support for the upcoming election, when asked whether their support for a party would be affected if they promised to change the law, 37% said they would be more likely to vote for that party (up from 31% last year). The number of people whose vote would be unaffected by a policy to change the law decreased from 59% last year to 53% this year.

    __________________________________________________________________

    KEY FINDINGS

    73% oppose the anti-smacking law (47% ‘strongly disagree’)

    85% say the law should be changed

    37% say they are more likely to vote for party that promises change to the law

    More than half of mothers with children under 12 admit to flouting the law

    ___________________________________________________________________

    Of most significance is the finding that almost half (48%) of parents with children under 12 openly admit that they have flouted the law and have given their child a smack to correct their behaviour. Over half of the mums polled (51%) confessed to continuing their use of smacking.

    “This result is surprising, and a huge concern to us,” says Mr McCoskrie. “For a new law to be ignored by so many people who are willing to risk a police or CYF investigation indicates just how out of step with reality this law is.”

    “NZ’ers have not been fooled by the claims of the anti-smacking lobby that smacking is child abuse, they haven’t been duped by arguments that children are damaged by reasonable smacking, and they have understood that our unacceptable rate of child abuse has far deeper root causes that a loving parent who corrects their child with a smack on the bottom.”

    “Good parents have become victims of a badly drafted law.”

    When asked whether they thought the new law was likely to help reduce the rate of child abuse in NZ, 79% responded that it was not at all likely (up from 77% last year).

    As a result of these survey findings, Family First is calling on MPs to amend the Act, so that the law explicitly states that reasonable smacking for the purpose of correction is not a criminal act.

    The poll was conducted during the week beginning May 12, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.

    Read Full Report –

    http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/FULL_REPORT.pdf

    ENDS

    For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

    Bob McCoskrie – National Director

    Mob. 027 55 555 42

    For Graphs, go to:

    http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/Move_On_.pdf