Category: CIR Petition

Sorry folks but we are just going to have to do some more work. I trust you will have a clear picture of the situation after reading the actual letters attached in my press release. Sometimes the media are masters at confusion. We will be given back all the petitions we submitted, all 324,511. We will have two months to add as many as we can. We already have 20,000 extra signatures and we thought that might have been enough, but you can see if the Government Statistician uses his formula again that could leave us short. I think we need to have at least another 20-30,000 to be sure we have sufficient. When we do resubmit approx 370,000 the Clerk of the House will go through the whole process again with a completely new random sample. Who knows whether that sample will be better or worse! Let’s therefore make sure that what we collect from now on are as clear and accurate as possible. Get the date of birth if at all possible as that can make a big difference in the certification. Make sure address details are complete and printed clearly. You have been fantastic, we can do this, Many thanks, Larry

Larry Baldock Party Leader Phone: 021 86 4833 Email: l.baldock@xtra.co.nz The Kiwi Party PO Box 9228 Greerton Tauranga 3122 New Zealand Ph: 07-543-0601 www.thekiwiparty.org.nz

Time to overhaul the CIR Act says Kiwi Party Leader.	The Kiwi Party Press Release
“It is no wonder that only 3 out of 42 official attempts to call for a Referendum over the last 15 years have succeeded,” said Mr Baldock. Kiwi Party Leader and CIR petition organiser Larry Baldock announced today that the Petition to force a referendum on the question, “should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?” had not been certified by the Government’s statistician as having sufficient signatures.“We were always concerned about the hurdles to be crossed in the audit process, said Mr Baldock, and for that reason we continued collecting signatures after we handed in the 324,511 signatures on Feb 29th. What has taken us by surprise is the bizarre formula used by the Government’s Statistician to evaluate the results of the sample taken by the clerk’s office. The Government’s Statistician asked for a sample size of 1/11th to be carefully checked. That turned out to be 29,501 signatures out of the total count of 324,511. Of those signatures the Electoral Enrolment Centre ascertained that 25,754 where valid. Accordingly, assuming that the sample was representative of the whole, the number of valid signatures should have been; 25,754 x 11 which equals 283,294. The number required is 285,027 so this indicates a shortfall of just 1,733 signatures! However the Government’s Statistician has said that his best estimate is just 267,000 or a shortfall of 18,027; 16,294 greater than the 1/11th sample would indicate. I think the 283,294 people who, based on the sample, validly signed the petition, deserve an explanation from the Government’s Statistician of that discrepancy. Why has he decided that the signatures of 16,294 people who are validly enrolled on the electoral roll are to be set aside? It seems to me to be similar to the IRD”s recent $600million error which goes to prove that government departments can make mistakes! I think we should call for an independent review by the Auditor General. How else can those 283,294 be assured that their signatures have been taken into account? The Kiwi Party is making the review of the CIR Act 1993 an important priority to give New Zealanders a better chance of having their voices heard through the referenda process. We have already collected an additional 20,000 signatures, but we now feel we need to collect at least another 20,000 before we resubmit the petition within the two months allocated under the Act,” said Mr Baldock. Ends Contact Larry Baldock 021864833
Attachments: Referenda_Petition_-_Savill.pdf Democratic_Principles_A4-1.doc CIR_Signatory_Check_April_2008.doc
Larry Baldock Party Leader Phone: 021 86 4833 Email: l.baldock@xtra.co.nz The Kiwi Party PO Box 9228 Greerton Tauranga 3122 New Zealand Ph: 07-543-0601 www.thekiwiparty.org.nz

A Royal Commission to respond to the referendum

 calling on the Government

‘to understand and address the wider causes of family breakdown, family violence, and child abuse in NZ.’

---

 

Using all relevant NZ and international research such as that compiled under the UN Doha Declaration on the Family, the Commission shall publish their findings and recommendations on:

                           

Part One – Understanding the wider causes of:

A)    Family Breakdown

 

This will include an examination of the effect upon the family of relevant legislative changes such as:

• the introduction of no fault divorce
• the Matrimonial Property Act/Relationships Property Act
• the Prostitution Reform Act
• Civil Unions Act
• the introduction of the Domestic Purposes Benefit.
• tax policy

 

And the effects of

• housing, including overcrowding and ownership versus renting.
• stress relating to work/life balance including seven day trading.
• changes in family form (married/defacto/sole parent/other)
• family income adequacy

 

B)   Family Violence and Child abuse

• drug and alcohol abuse
• gambling addiction and the introduction and proliferation of pokie machines.
• increased availability and access to credit leading to greater household debt
• fatherlessness and its family form implications e.g. transient partners
• the loss of parenting skills due to the breakdown of the intergenerational family.
• pornography and its increased access via internet and TV
• violence as portrayed through TV, video games, the internet, and music.

 

Part Two – Addressing those issues including the recommendation of viable, practical, “fence at the top of the cliff” solutions

 

These will include options like

 

A)   Educational initiatives such as:

i) through charities and other third sector organisations

§          marriage preparation, marriage and relationship enrichment

§          parenting education, pre and post natal right through to the teenage years

§          fatherlessness and related issues

ii) through schools

§          values and character training

§          civics and citizenship education including the role of males and females as parents

§          respect towards parents, teachers, police, and other  community authorities.

§          changing the approach to sex education so that it has an emphasis on “abstinence until

married”.

 

B)    Legislative change:

 

§         divorce, property entitlements, the domestic purposes benefit, liable parent contributions, custody arrangements and any other relevant legislation

§         the operation of the family court including associated processes around mediation and reconciliation

§         the drinking age and sale arrangements for alcohol

§         criminal penalties in regard to drug related offences.

§         pokie machines and gambling

§         the portrayal of pornography and violence

Significant progress has already been made in making the needs of our families a central issue in this year’s election with 80% of the signatures collected to hold a referendum.

Will you help finish the task?

Hardly anyone would dispute that our families in New Zealand at the beginning of the 21^st century are under increasing stress and in danger of breakdown at a greater rate than 30 years ago. Our alarming rates of child abuse, family violence, teenage pregnancy, children growing up without the daily care of their fathers or mothers, child poverty, drug and alcohol abuse and high abortion rates present us with a daunting challenge if we want our children and grandchildren to inherit a better world.

When I launched the petition to challenge, by way of a referendum, the ill conceived plan to deal with child abuse by repealing sec 59 of the Crimes Act, I was deeply concerned that we should not just oppose Sue Bradford’s legislation. I felt it was also imperative to move public opinion and government policy towards real solutions to address our national shame.

I believe we cannot address child abuse without also looking at the broader subject of Family breakdown.

In the 2006 CYFS report on ‘Children at increased risk of Death from Maltreatment and Strategies for Prevention’ statistics showed that children living in households with an adult unrelated to them were almost 50 times as likely to die of an inflicted injury compared with those living with two biological parents.

The report identified parental factors such as poverty, low education, unemployment, being young, having poor mental health, including drug and alcohol abuse, being the victim of family violence and a history of criminal offending as the key contributing factors of child abuse. Focusing on these issues and doing all we can to strengthen adult marriage relationships will do more to address child abuse than the current legislation changes.

A Royal Commission with broad terms of reference would be able to understand these impacts on family life in New Zealand, and then make serious recommendations to Government for changes designed to rebuild a healthy marriage and two parent family culture in NZ.

Larry Baldock

Petition organizer

30 January 2008 – Family Integrity #343 — CIR Update no 20

From: Larry Baldock [mailto:CIR.Petition@xtra.co.nz]
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:08 PM
Subject: CIR Update no 20

 

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a busy summer, phew! and a hot one.

I was planning to get this update out last week but somehow the days just slid by.

We spent last week with a great team of volunteers here in Tauranga cutting the petitions in to their separate forms and recounting. We completed recounting Sheryl’s petition and the good news is we had a few more than we thought.

After some very fruitful campaigns around the country over the last two weekends we are now over the 280,000 mark.

A lot of media coverage recently has seen more activity and increasing numbers of people seeking the petitions to sign.

The PM is saying we won’t make it, and then she says if we do, they won’t change it. Today on Radio Live she said “why would 113 MPs who voted for the law change then repeal it? Ah, I think it’s because 84% of the population want you to. You know, democracy is like that, MPs work for us!

The good news is that we are now very close to our first target of 300,000 and I believe we can comfortably make that by Feb 29 when we must hand them in.

The bad news is, (bad news, there is no bad news, only a challenge!) the challenge is that getting the 300,000 is the first phase. If you read the attachment (below Attachment no 3) called the process you will understand the next and final phase.

I was hoping we would have the total of my petition by today but it looks like it will take us another day or two so I will advise that in the next update. We definitely have less but perhaps it is not too far behind. I still feel strongly that we are to finish both so please do you best to get people to sign both whenever possible.

I will write an Op-Ed piece shortly to explain the importance of getting a referendum on the wider causes of family breakdown, family violence and child abuse.

I have attached a press release and Op-Ed (below Attachments 1 and 2) I put out today for your information. The Op-Ed should give clarity on when the referendum can be held. It would be a very brave and foolish PM in my opinion that would defer it from the election.

Renewed enthusiasm

It has been encouraging to be contacted by some of those who were very active at the beginning of our campaign who say they are now getting their second wind! That’s great. If we all got involved in February there is no telling how many signatures we could deliver on the 29^th.

Materials available

A sign maker in Hamilton has offered to make signs on corflue with the wording we use on the signs you have seen on the pictures we sent out.

‘Don’t criminalise good parents, A smack is not abuse Sign the petition, Demand a Referendum. ( We have been using two signs but I think we could combine these statements into one now.)

He has offered to make these at cost so please let me know if you might want to order some.

I am also using a second couple of smaller signs

“The epidemic of Child Abuse and Child Violence in this country continues. My bill was never intended to solve this Problem.” Sue Bradford Green Party National Radio Dec 21.

“Our Referenda were always intended to address the wider causes of Child Abuse, Family Violence and Family Breakdown.” Larry Baldock Kiwi Party Jan 30^th.

If you were not comfortable using the sign with The Kiwi Party on it, you could request it to be simply, Larry Baldock Petition organiser.

So let me know if you may like to place any orders.

Events coming up.

Katikata A & P show this Sunday Feb 3^rd. Contact Travis & Tina Boyd 5491510

We very keen to get a team to the Martinborough fair in the Wairarapa as they have 20-30,000 attend there on Feb 2^nd and March 1^st. Contact Tony Arcus 06 3796668

Gore A & P Show this Sat Feb 2^nd contact Natalie Souness

rickard-nally@xtra.co.nz 03 415 8243

Dannevirke A & P show Friday & Sat Feb 1^st & 2^nd contact Stephen 068578138

Te Puke A & P show Feb 9^th. Contact me.

Napier Art Deco week Feb 12-17^th Contact me.

And Natalie is also looking for helpers at the Waimumu Field Days Feb 13-15^th

Also this weekend the Wellington Sevens. Friday –Saturday. There will be thousands all around the Cake Tin that will be ready to sign.

Contact Wayne 049775501

A & P Show Taumaranui Feb 9^th Barb and I will be there but need to leave after lunch so we would appreciate someone who could take over then for us.

A & P show Te Puke Feb 9^th. Contact me.

Fielding Field Days March 13^th & 14^th

Dragon Boat Festival Wellington March 16th

The Dargaville Field Days Feb 28-March 1^st is also a good gathering I am told.

If you have an event coming up and want me to advertise it send me an email.

Happy holidays for those still enjoying time off. The weather is great. Keep up the good work. I hope you will be able to find a little time at least to join

The Great Summer Challenge!

Warm regards

Larry

Note: 3 attachments below

Press Release   30 January 2008

Kiwi Party

“Bradford should welcome Referendum”

Petition organiser Larry Baldock announced today that after a successful weekend of signature gathering the total for the petition to hold a referendum has now reached over 280,000. I think we can pretty much dismiss any doubts that a referendum will be held,  he said.

Sue Bradford has repeatly claimed recently that the majority of New Zealander’s now support her law change. If she really believed her own spin, she would have no cause for concern about the referendum would she?

She has repeatedly claimed the petition has been inspired by religious fanatics and fundamentaists. These are tactics both she and the PM have resorted to describe anyone who opposes their social engineering agenda.

It is utter nonsense, and insulting to the hundreds who have signed up to help and the tens of thousands who have signed the petition to suggest that they are all religious extremists. If Sue Bradford would have the courage to spend just one day out with us on one of our collection tables she would fairly rapidly be able to adjust her delusional views concerning the popularity of her bill.

Bob McCoskrie from Family First has been singled out often for the focus of their attacks. The truth is that the petitions are not organised by Family First or Bob McCoskrie. When I conceived of the idea to initiate the petitions for the referenda and Sheryl Savill and I decided to lodge our applications with the Clerk of the House, I sought the support of a number of organisiations in the planning and launcing of the campaign. These organisations and individuals included Tim Sisarich and Focus on the Family, Christine Rankin and For the Sake of our Children Trust, Bob McCoskrie from Family First, Garth McVicar and the Sensible Sentencing Trust as well as a wide range of Church Leaders and other community based organisations. About 5 months ago Craig Hill began an organisation called Unity for Liberty with the purpose of assisting in collecting signatures to achieve the referendum and has launched several successful campaigns to mobilise volunteers. More recently Muriel Newman has promoted the petitions on her website and urged her readers to get involved in her NZCPR weekly newsletter.

What Sue Bradford and the PM can be assured of is that there will be a referendum. 

Ends

Contact

Larry Baldock

Leader

Kiwi Party

021864833