MEDIA RELEASE

4 July 2017

Parents Smack Because It’s Effective & Not Abuse
Family First NZ says it is no surprise that the University of Auckland’s Growing up in New Zealand study has found that mothers – and parents in general – are still using smacking, and that research reveals that any forms of correction of children can be problematic, depending on the style of parenting.

A poll at the beginning of the year also found continued widespread rejection of the law and an admission that 2 out of 3 NZ’ers would flout the law if they believed it reasonable to correct the behaviour of their child.

“Despite having almost 10 years to prove the doubters wrong, the law has failed to convince anybody of its benefits or its effectiveness. In fact, the law has maintained its very high level of opposition, but most significantly, a high level of NZ’ers say they would flout the law despite the possible consequences. This proves the abject failure and rejection by ordinary NZ’ers of this highly controversial and flawed law. If it had any merit, it would have proved itself by now. Instead it has simply threatened and undermined good parents raising great kids,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

An analysis of the law in 2014 by Public Law Specialists Chen Palmer said that statements made by politicians to the effect that the new section 59 does not criminalise “good parents” for lightly smacking their children appear to be inconsistent with the legal effect of section 59 and the cases they analysed.

“New Zealanders predicted all of this before the law was passed, but their concerns were ignored. The politicians and anti-smacking lobby groups linked good parents who smacked their children with child abusers, a notion roundly rejected – and still rejected – by NZ’ers. The anti-smacking law assumes that previous generations disciplined their children in a manner that was so harmful that they should now be considered criminals,” says Mr McCoskrie.

In the independent poll of 846 people undertaken by Curia Market Research at the end of last year, only 23% of respondents believe a smack that is reasonable and for the purpose of correction should be a criminal offence – similar to levels in a 2014 poll.

A report at the beginning of last year analysing the 2007 anti-smacking law, “Defying Human Nature: An Analysis of New Zealand’s 2007 Anti-Smacking Law”, found that there was not a single social indicator relating to the abuse of children that had shown significant or sustained improvement since the passing of the law, and that the law has negatively impacted law-abiding parents.

Family First NZ continues to call for the government to adopt the ‘Borrows amendment’ which allows non-abusive smacking and which the National party had previously lobbied and voted for.

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – NATIONAL DIRECTOR

Mob. 027 55 555 42

MEDIA RELEASE

Greens Take Nanny State To A New Level

Family First NZ is labelling the Green’s ‘welcome package’ for newborns policy as wasteful and misdirected.

“This policy is taking ‘nanny state’ to a new level but indicates just how much the Greens want to intervene in family life,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“It is a complete waste of taxpayer money to give nappies, bibs and blankets to millionaire families and other families who are able to cope with those needs already.”

“It would make far greater sense to target those resources at young and low income families who are starting out as a family. Targeted assistance is far more appropriate. It is also disappointing that the Greens oppose income-splitting which would greatly help single income families,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“This policy is simply a stepping stone to having a social worker allocated to every child from day one – another level of ‘nanny state’.”

In Family First’s Value Your Vote resource, the Greens stated that Government, not parents, have primary responsibility for nurturing, raising and educating their children.

ENDS

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Sign up now to received FREE email updates from Family First of issues affecting families – be informed! http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/email-updates/

MEDIA RELEASE

Smacking Doco Proves Real Harm of Law to Families

Family First NZ has just released a new documentary on the anti-smacking law “MUM ON A MISSION” featuring the experiences of five more families. This is the sequel to the documentary from 2011 “MY MUMMY’S A CRIMINAL” which was viewed on YouTube over 12,300 times (despite being a 30 minute documentary) and 10,000 copies of the DVD distributed.

“In 2007, politicians changed the laws making it illegal for parents to use smacking as form of correction with their children. The referendum in 2009 revealed that 87% of New Zealanders opposed this move believing that it wouldn’t solve genuine child abuse – which it hasn’t – but would lead to good parents being unjustly persecuted. To assuage these fears, Prime Minister John Key stated that ‘If I see good parents getting criminalised for lightly smacking their children for the purposes of discipline, I’m going to change the law.’ Here’s the evidence,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Despite assurances to the contrary, families have been torn apart, accused of lying and dragged through the courts with disturbing results. One parent says ‘Good parents won’t be affected by the law… they’ll just be removed from being parents’ and another couple complain that ‘Of course CYF had to investigate… but they didn’t actually investigate anything’.”

“Since the anti-smacking law was introduced, the rate of serious child assaults has increased by more than 80%. This documentary lifts the lid on a flawed law whose real effect has been hidden by state agencies such as CYF and the Police, and by politicians,” says Mr McCoskrie.

There is also an accompanying website which contains more detailed information and examples www.protectgoodparents.org.nz. The website has additional resources for families including legal advice for parents; the experience of other parents not included in the documentary; why the ‘Nigel Latta’ review was flawed, misleading, and factually incorrect; the research on why smacking is not child abuse; the experience of Australia which has not banned smacking; and what the real causes of child abuse are.

Family First will be launching the “10 Good Reasons to Change the Anti-Smacking Law” which highlights the 10 families featured in the two documentaries.

Family First continues to call for a change to the law to decriminalise non-abusive smacking for the purposes of correction.

VIEW THE DOCUMENTARY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7chx3ifSLo

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 027 55 555 42

Push For Gender Confusion In Schools

Family First NZ is warning schools about an agenda to bring gender confusion in to schools in areas such as changing rooms, sports teams and school uniforms.

Auckland University’s Adolescent Health Research Group and Rainbow Youth are recommending to schools that

• school sports teams allow for gender diversity
• changing rooms are ‘safe environments’
• formal written records reflect the gender identity of children
• school uniforms are flexible for gender identity

“Among the implications of these types of proposals is that sex-specific facilities, including changing rooms, showers and toilets could no longer be directed on the basis of a child’s actual biological sex,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Students could pick the toilet or changing room or sports team or uniform of the gender with which they identify at that time.”

“But the expectation of parents and the children themselves is to see students of the same gender in places like toilets and changing rooms.”

“The controversial proposals are unnecessary and gives the opportunity, for example, for male students who pretend to be transgender an alibi to use girl’s toilets, showers, and changing rooms.”

“In view of the confusion experienced overseas by such rules, it is not surprising that the United Nations has repeatedly rejected the terms ‘sexual identity’ and ‘sexual expression’ as a protected right partly because of confusion around its definition,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“Overseas experience has also shown that special toilets for those with gender identity disorder amounted to discrimination. Schools will be in a no-win situation.”

“Students with gender dissatisfaction must have the same rights as all New Zealanders, but should not be given special rights which place other school children at risk. Ignoring biology is not a proper solution.”

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 027 55 555 42

Muzzled!

FAMILY FIRST TO BE DE-REGISTERED AS A CHARITABLE ORGANISATION
As a valued supporter of Family First NZ, please take a moment to read this urgent Media Release. The Charities Registration Board started investigating our status as a charity in the month following the start of the Same-Sex Marriage debate (August 2012). Although their investigation was supposed to be completed late January this year, they held off notifying us of their decision until the marriage debate was completed. Coincidence? Yeah right.

And the reason they want to deregister us as a charitable organisation? We promote a point of view about family life that does not, apparently, have a public benefit – and we promote the view that the union of a man and a woman through marriage is the fundamental social unit.

Yes – incredible, and sad! What effect will this have? Family First will no longer be exempt from income tax (even though we are non-profit!) but more significantly, donations to Family First will no longer qualify for the donation rebate.

But this will just make us more determined to speak up and challenge the issues affecting families – and we’ll be completely politically incorrect while doing it. Attempts to decriminalise euthanasia, abortion,  street prostitution, sexualisation of children in the media, sex education, anti-smacking law, adoption, marriage, CYF Complaints Authority, child abuse inquiry, broadcasting and advertising standards, and many more!

There are two things you could do:
* Email both the Prime Minister john.key@parliament.govt.nz and the Minister responsible for Charities jo.goodhew@parliament.govt.nz and tell them what you think
* Empower us to continue speaking up for families. Until the 27 May, donations still qualify for the Donation Rebate 🙂

MEDIA RELEASE

6 May 2013

Family First NZ has received notification that the Charities Commission intends to deregister the charity, citing Family First’s traditional view of marriage being one man and one woman as one of the reasons for the deregistration. The investigation began just after the gay marriage debate started last year.

“This is a highly politicised decision which is grim evidence that groups that think differently to the prevailing politically correct view will be targeted in an attempt to shut them up,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“The Commission argues that Family First’s efforts to represent the voice of 80%-plus of families on the anti-smacking law or half of New Zealanders on attempts to redefine marriage, for example, have no ‘public benefit’, and that it is in the ‘public interest’ for Family First to be deregistered.”

“The timing of the investigation and notification is also cynical in that the Commission deliberately held off the notification until after the final reading of the gay marriage bill, despite the Commission promising that their decision would be made at the end of January. The investigation began just after the gay marriage debate started last year.”

“It is now evident that any charity that speaks up on issues which are deemed incorrect by the political elite are in danger of being penalised. An easy way for opponents of a point of view is for them to use the Charities Commission to muzzle them.”

Family First is a non-profit organisation which receives no government funding, is funded purely by donations and gifts from New Zealand families, and relies heavily on volunteer time.

“You know a country is in trouble when a family group speaking up, publishing research, and holding conferences on traditional family values is deemed to be of no public benefit, and is in the public interest to be punished. It seems to be almost illegal to hold a viewpoint,” says Mr McCoskrie.

Under the Official Information Act, Family First has requested a list of which charities supporting the anti-smacking law and supporting the gay marriage law have had similar investigations. They have also requested information on who made complaints against Family First NZ.

“Family First gained approval as a charity, has also passed two ‘audits’, and have made no change to the nature of our operations over the past seven years. It appears that only the opinion of the Commission has changed,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“The good news is that even if Family First NZ looses its charitable status, we won’t be going away. We will continue to represent and be a voice for a massive proportion of NZ’ers on many social & family issues.”

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 027 55 555 42

MEDIA RELEASE 21 May 2012

ADHD Drug Use In Kids Cause For Concern

Family First NZ is alarmed at the number of children being prescribed drugs for hyperactivity and says that better diagnosis with second opinions and treatment of underlying problems should be the highest priority.

“The prescriptions for ADHD drugs have almost doubled in the past decade to a rate where more than 1 in 10 of our children are bring given drugs for their behavior. But we may be just drugging kids up to mask the real issues of the effects of food additives, sleep deprivation, family breakdown and stress, lack of discipline, and under-stimulation for bright children,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Doctors are under pressure for a quick fix when counselling, better diet, firm discipline and a decent sleep pattern would be better. We are aware of children being sent to doctors where the likelihood of a prognosis of ADHD is most likely. And teachers are putting pressure on pupils or their parents to seek the medication as funding for more expensive solutions are cut.”

“Research is showing that Ritalin use is only a ‘band aid’ and may actually be harmful in the long term. A Study published in American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Journal showed that children treated with Ritalin improved their behaviour in the short term but with no lasting effects,” says Mr McCoskrie.

A 2009 Australian report from the Therapeutic Goods Administration showed at least 30 children have had severe psychotic episodes and wanted to kill themselves. Serious reactions to ADHD drugs have doubled in three years, up to 827. But the report said that the true extent of the side effects was unknown, with many doctors and parents were believed to be under-reporting.

An influential 2007 US study from the University of Buffalo also suggested long-term use of the drugs could stunt children’s growth, and that the benefits of drugs had previously been exaggerated. And a Michigan State University study published in the Journal of Health Economics found that misdiagnosis can have long-lasting effects including headaches, dizziness, and high blood pressure. The NZ Ministry of Health expressed concerns in 2010 over links to heart, brain and psychiatric disorders.

“Some experts have said that rather than drugging children, perhaps we need to give parents a good dose of parenting. Maybe all we’re doing is drugging up naughty kids rather than dealing with the reasons why they’re naughty in the first place,” says Mr McCoskrie.

While acknowledging that there are genuine cases of ADHD requiring medication, Family First believes medication should be a last resort and that at least two doctors should be consulted before any child is prescribed stimulant drugs.

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 027 55 555 42