Family Integrity

Category: Marriage

  • John Key on Redefining Marriage – And why you may have been confused!

    john key serious 2John Key – speaking to media at the ‘Big Gay Out’ Feb 2014
    “The reality is that if I hadn’t voted for gay marriage it’s less likely it would have passed because the truth is that centre-right politicians are the ones that are less likely to vote for gay marriage – that’s been the trend around the world. Lots of prime ministers have been unwilling to either support or introduce the legislation when they come from the right of politics, and I gave a lot of cover to conservative MP’s that would have wanted to vote for it. So if you go and ask Louisa Wall what she thinks who had the members bill and she’s actually been really supportive of what I’ve done.” AUDIO
    Family First NZ Comment: “Lots of prime ministers have been unwilling to either support or introduce the legislation” because their voter base wouldn’t agree with redefining marriage and probably didn’t expect a centre-right government to flip-flop on the issue! The real concern is that while voters expected a socially conservative government, the current government is much more socially liberal than voters realised. Hence, bills promoting euthanasia, same-sex adoption, redefinition of marriage and liberalising abortion laws are considered potential winners. Attempts to fix the harms of gambling and prostitution, parental notification for teen abortions, anti-smacking laws, and the booze culture are being side-lined or weakened. That’s how far to the socially liberal side our parliament has moved – even with a centre right government! And that should concern us all.
    READ MORE Marriage vote – National confusion, or just voting with the boss?

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    You can view all these family-issue stories, research and additional material on this website www.familyfirst.org.nz

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  • NEW RESOURCE To Help You Defend Marriage

    Family First has put together a one page summary of the key points to help you defend marriage as it has always been defined.

    Perfect to slip in your wallet or handbag or have on your smartphone. Leave it lying around on the coffee table, or include it in your newsletters or church bulletins or public notices. It will be a great conversaton starter!

    It quickly and succintly deals with all the issues including the ‘right’ to marry, marriage ‘equality’, why gender matters, what will be next, and the effect of changing the definition of marriage.

    DOWNLOAD IT NOW

    ORAL SUBMISSIONS
    Family First’s understanding is that oral submissions will be called up over the next month or so. Remember that even if you can’t appear in person, you can make your oral submission by telephone or teleconference. They have some basic guidelines and advice for you as you prepare for your submission. CLICK HERE

    FAMILY FIRST IS STILL COLLECTING SIGNATURES

    To view all this information:

    http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=0cd68702160c587ec85116fce&id=fc5bab969a&e=2aba54cb41

  • Protect Marriage — have your say…

    OFF TO SELECT COMMITTEE
    By a vote of 80 for, 40 against (and 1 absent), the Same-Sex Marriage Bill is off to the Select Committee. This means that people like you can make submissions and have your say direct to the MP’s – and we’ll help you every step of the way with information and resources so as to make it as simple as possible! The vote last night also shows that only 20 MP’s need to change their vote to defeat this bill.

    STILL COLLECTING SIGNATURES
    Please note that although we have presented the first batch of signatures (48,000), we are still collecting signatures. We would love to be able to present 100,000 signatures to the Select Committee. So our basic message is: Keep Signing. Keep Sending them in. Please note – you can only sign the petition once, but please encourage others to sign. http://www.protectmarriage.org.nz/sign-the-petition

    THANK YOU TO THE BRAVE 40
    40 MP’s voted to Protect Marriage last night. Please thank them. We are grateful for their stand for marriage. To read more go to here: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=0cd68702160c587ec85116fce&id=8e5a36bc6b&e=2ea8a9d91e

    To send an email of thanks to the 40 MP’s, click here http://goo.gl/2OceS

  • MARRIAGE PETITION – A big push before the 1st Reading

    From Family First:
    A BIG Push before

    the 1st Reading


    Hi Barbara

    We are inching towards 30,000 signatures on our Protect Marriage Petition! It has been an incredible response in such a short time.

    We’ve been asked whether there is a deadline for the petitions?
    Answer: We would like to get as many signatures as possible BEFORE the 1st Reading of this Bill in Parliament (estimated to be Wednesday 29th August),


    SO OUR FIRST DEADLINE FOR SIGNATURES IS MONDAY 27 AUGUST.
    BUT we will continue collecting signatures until the matter is resolved!!


    YOUR MISSION…. (should you decide to accept it!!)
    Could you encourage just 4-5 people / friends / family / colleagues to sign the petition?

    Next time someone visits you, or you visit them, or somebody comes by your computer, get them to sign! In Australia, they achieved a total of just over 100,000 signatures with a population pool of 22 million. So we are doing well already! And remember that in Australia, the attempt to redefine marriage has ‘stalled’!

    There are downloadable petition forms which can be passed around and the emailed or posted back to us
    Word version http://www.protectmarriage.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Petition-form1.doc
    Pdf version http://www.protectmarriage.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Petition-form1.pdf

    Alternative, just copy and paste the following into an email and send to all your CONTACTS:
    ———————————————————————————————————————
    Hi there

    I’ve signed the Marriage Petition – along with almost 30,000 others – which says:

    “I support the definition of marriage in New Zealand being maintained as One Man One Woman. I oppose any attempt to redefine it.”

    It only takes a minute to do but is an easy way to register your view.

    If you agree with the statement above, please consider signing it also
    http://www.protectmarriage.org.nz/sign-the-petition

    Thanks for your consideration
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    Thank you for speaking up on this issue. Our message is only as strong as the support that rises with it.

    Kind regards

    Bob McCoskrie
    National Director

    PS: Would you also consider donating to our “Protect Marriage” Fund – click the DONATE NOW button below.
    Copyright © 2012 Family First, All rights reserved.
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    Manukau City, Auckland 2241

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  • Marriage Breakdown Costing Taxpayers At Least $1 Billion a Year

    MEDIA RELEASE – 20 October 2008

    Marriage Breakdown Costing Taxpayers At Least $1 Billion a Year

    In the first research of its kind in NZ, a new report estimates that the fiscal cost to the taxpayer of family breakdown and decreasing marriage rates is at least $1 billion per year and has cost approximately $8 billion over the past decade.

    The report “The Value of Family – Fiscal Benefits of Marriage and Reducing Family Breakdown in New Zealand” was commissioned by Family First NZ and prepared by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER).

    “The study shows that the decline of marriage, NZ’s high teenage fertility rate, and our rate of solo parenthood is not just a moral or social concern but should also be a concern of government and policymakers,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “The report states that even a small reduction in family breakdown and increases in marriage rates could provide significant savings for taxpayers.”

    The report says that family breakdown and decreasing marriage rates are seldom considered in debate on social policy issues.

    “The focus has been on ‘child poverty’ but this misses the real issue – that is, poverty among families with children, and the way that divorce, unwed childbearing, teenage pregnancy and sole parenting contributes to that poverty. For example, sole parents have the lowest average living standards of all economic family unit types.”

    The report also refers to International research which suggests that the private costs of divorce and unmarried childbearing include increased risks of poverty, mental illness, infant mortality, physical illness, juvenile delinquency and adult criminality, sexual abuse and other forms of family violence, economic hardship, substance abuse, and educational failure.

    “It is significant that this report comes during an Election period where the issue of family breakdown and decreasing marriage rates is barely registering a mention or a policy. Yet this report makes it quite clear that strengthening marriage and reducing family breakdown is a significant public concern, both in human costs and economically,” says Mr McCoskrie.

    The report suggests the use of a range of programmes and services to reduce unwed pregnancy among teen mothers and to help prepare couples for and support them during marriage.

    “We must do much more to strengthen marriages and help families succeed,” says Mr McCoskrie. “The investment will pay for itself.”

    The Full Report is available from 20 October at http://www.familyfirst.org.nz

    ENDS