Family Integrity

Tag: CIR Petition

  • PM between a rock and a hard place

    The Kiwi Party
    Press Release

    Kiwi Party leader Larry Baldock welcomed the news that John Boscawen’s bill was drawn from the Ballot only one day after the Chief Electoral Office released the final results of the referendum. This is good news for all those who want to see a smack no longer a criminal offence in this country.

    If the PM thought he might hang tough while hoping the issue would die down, he is very much mistaken. At some point in the near future all the National Caucus will have a tough decision.  They could continue their hypocrisy by voting against John Boscawen’s bill that is based upon National MP Chester Borrows’ amendment they supported during the committee stage of Sue Bradford’s anti-smacking law, or vote for the bill and open up the select committee process and anti-smacking debate all over again.

    Taking urgency and deleting Subsections 2 & 3 from Sec 59 of the Crimes Act, as I have proposed to the PM, might just be the best way forward. Who knows, if he acts quickly enough he might be forgiven for what many are considering to be an arrogant stand against the 87% of Kiwis that voted no in the referendum.

    Ends
    Contact Larry Baldock
    021864833

  • Smacking poll ‘no’ landslide confirmed

    Smacking poll ‘no’ landslide confirmed

    The Dominion Post

    The final results of the smacking referendum have been released, showing that more than 1.68 million ballots were cast – with 87 per cent voting ‘no’.

    The poll question asked: “Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?”

    Preliminary results released on Friday indicated 1,622,150 valid votes were cast, but with the release of the official results today that was bumped up to 1,682,717 – a voter turnout of 56 per cent.

    More than 1.47 million ‘no’ votes were cast – 87.4 per cent.

    Around 201,000 ‘yes’ votes were cast – 11.98 per cent.

    There were 1,685 invalid votes.

    Invalid votes were excluded from the count and include papers received late, those that could not be processed because the voter had made the barcode unreadable, or papers cancelled as a result of replacement voting papers being issued.

    The number of informal votes cast – where the voter did not clearly indicate their response – was 10,421.

    – With NZPA

  • Vote Against Smacking Law Exceeds Vote For MMP

    MEDIA RELEASE

    25 August 2009

    Vote Against Smacking Law Exceeds Vote For MMP

    Family First NZ says that more NZ’ers voted against the smacking law than voted for our Electoral system to change to MMP.

    “The final turnout for the anti-smacking Referendum was 56% with 87.4% voting no. The turnout for the MMP referendum was 55% with only 70% voting for MMP,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “More NZ’ers voted for the decriminalization of light smacking than voted for MMP.”

    “The politicians have turned a deaf ear to the results of the anti-smacking Referendum and the clear voice of NZ’ers, but have warmly welcomed the vote on MMP. This is selective democracy.”

    “It is also significant that Green MP Sue Bradford wants to ignore the anti-smacking Referendum yet has no problem accepting the benefit of an electoral system which has worked hugely in her favour – on a lesser amount of votes!”

    ENDS

    For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

    Bob McCoskrie – National Director

    Mob. 027 55 555 42



    Sign up now to received FREE email updates of issues affecting families – be informed! http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/Sign_Up

  • More Window Dressing on a Rejected Law

    MEDIA RELEASE

    25 August 2009

    More Window Dressing on a Rejected Law

    Family First NZ says that the government has done more ‘compromise’ on a ‘compromise’ law but the window dressing is a cynical attempt to ignore the overwhelming majority of NZ’ers who reject the anti-smacking law.

    “The Police have already been doing regular reviews and they show good parents being prosecuted under the law – 14 at last count,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “But they also show a huge number of non-abusive parents being investigated – 94% of all investigations. Police may say business as usual, but families don’t see it that way.”

    “And CYF checking on themselves is completely unacceptable. A review by the Ministry of Social Development will be a one-sided bias affair endorsed by government-funded lobby groups like Barnardos who oppose smacking. That’s why we have been demanding an independent CYF Complaints Authority.”

    “The Prime Minister is showing incredible ill-will towards the 80%-plus of NZ’ers who have consistently opposed this law and want light smacking decriminalized. Cabinet Ministers received around 1,000 emails yesterday calling on the government to listen to families but they have ignored them.”

    John Key says “If the law shows … that New Zealand parents are being criminalised, or their children are being taken off them in some bizarre case for what could only be described as minor or inconsequential smacking, then the law has to be changed.”

    “We have already put this evidence before the Prime Minister including parents prosecuted for an open hand leg smack, arm smacks, bottom smacks, and even a ruffling of sheets to get out of bed. Many of these cases have resulted in the parent being discharged without conviction, sent to a parenting course, or receiving a suspended sentence.

    Other parents have been referred to CYF and had children removed while an investigation takes place. This is highly traumatic for any family.”

    “The bottom line is that you can put lipstick on a pig – but it’s still a pig,” says Mr McCoskrie

    ENDS

    For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

    Bob McCoskrie – National Director

    Mob. 027 55 555 42

    Sign up now to received FREE email updates of issues affecting families – be informed! http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/Sign_Up

  • What should happen with the smacking legislation now?

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

    Readers’ Poll Put in your vote

    What should happen with the smacking legislation now?

    Final Results:

    • Leave it as it is: 781 (14%)
    • Clarify the guidelines: 1668 (30%)
    • Scrap it: 3022 (55%)

    Total Votes: 5471

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10592900&pnum=0

  • Post-Cabinet press conference on the “smacking” referendum

    Source: www.youtube.com

    Post-Cabinet press conference on Maori seats in the Auckland “super city” and the “smacking” referendum

  • Key: I won’t ignore smacking vote

    Key: I won’t ignore smacking vote

    By TRACY WATKINS – The Dominion Post

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/2779737/Key-I-won-t-ignore-smacking-vote

    Last updated 17:18 24/08/2009

    LATEST: Prime Minister John Key has unveiled a compromise option on the so-called anti-smacking law after it was overwhelmingly rejected in a referendum.

    Mr Key took a series of proposals to Cabinet today following Friday’s resounding referendum victory for opponents of the 2007 child discipline law change.

    Preliminary results found 87.6 per cent of those who voted ticked no to the question: ”Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?”

    Mr Key said he would ask police and the Social Development Ministry to review their procedures, including the referral process between the two agencies, to identify any changes that might be required to ensure good parents were treated as Parliament intended.

    An independent person would be appointed to assist in the review.

    He had also asked the Social Development Ministry to bring forward its review of the law, which was due by the end of the year.

    That review is looking at the effect of the law change and its effects two years after implementation.

    Meanwhile, police would be asked to continue reporting on cases on a six monthly or annual basis for the next three years and include data on cases where parents or caregivers said the force used on a child was reasonable in the circumstances.

    “Cabinet has agreed that if future police data indicates a worrying trend the law will be changed,” Mr Key said.

    That had not been the case so far.

    He said parents who lightly smack their children should not fear being treated like criminals, and that he would not ignore the referendum.

    The measures outlined today were unlikely to placate those who supported the right to smack, and who wanted the law changed to explicitly allow light smacking.

    The referendum was organised after Green MP Sue Bradford’s member’s bill was passed in 2007. That law change amended the Crimes Act to remove the defence of reasonable force when an adult was charged with assaulting a child.

    Mr Key did not want Parliament’s time consumed relitigating the ”explosive” smacking debate and preferred putting in ”additional safeguards”.

    Voter turnout on the referendum’s initial results was 54 percent, with just over 1.6 million votes  cast.

    The final result will be declared tomorrow.

  • Cabinet Ministers Swamped With Emails

    Keep your emails going into the Prime Minister and his cabinet.

    Two links to help with this:

    Here are the addresses to write to:

    https://familyintegrity.org.nz/2009/the-message-is-clear-decriminalise-light-smacking/

    Here is an idea about what to say: we totally endorse Larry Baldock’s suggestion of merely repealing two clauses of the current act, rather than pass a new Bill

    https://familyintegrity.org.nz/2009/referendumsection-59-the-way-forward/

    MEDIA RELEASE

    24 August 2009

    Cabinet Ministers Swamped With Emails

    Family First NZ says that almost 800 emails have been sent in the past 24 hours to Ministers in Cabinet requesting that they decriminalise light smacking, and they continue to pour in.

    “The Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers have been asked by families from all over New Zealand to vote to decriminalise light smacking in accordance with the wishes of the 88% who voted NO in the Referendum,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

    “The Referendum wasn’t about ‘recommendations’, ‘guidelines’ or ‘comfort’ – it was about a law change.”

    “As the law stands, a light smack is a criminal offence subject to whether the police agree it was ‘inconsequential’ and then whether CYF agree that you’re not an abusive parent (only after an investigation that may require your children to be removed temporarily).”

    Grant Illingworth QC said in a published Op-Ed that “it is a serious thing to say that someone has committed a crime, irrespective of whether the person is prosecuted. Surely we should reserve that kind of condemnation for situations that really warrant the intervention of the criminal law.”

    And Jim Evans, Emeritus Professor of Law at Auckland University said “this is not clear legislation. In creating this law, Parliament abandoned its constitutional responsibility to say with clarity just which conduct is criminal. The section results from a political fudge.”


    Family First continues to plead with Cabinet to decriminalize light smacking and then to establish a Commission of Enquiry to target the real causes of child abuse.

    ENDS

    For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

    Bob McCoskrie – National Director

    Mob. 027 55 555 42



    Sign up now to received FREE email updates of issues affecting families – be informed! http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/Sign_Up

  • Key mulling smacking options


    http://tvnz.co.nz/one-news/key-mulling-smacking-options-2937313/video

    PM John Key addresses the 73rd National Party Annual Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand (Source: NZPA)

    Key mulling smacking options (2:48

  • The anti-smacking law: Only a law change is morally acceptable

    NZ Prime Minister John Key is saying that he takes the referendum outcome seriously, and that he wants to reassure parents that they will not be investigated or prosecuted just for smacking a child. See the story here.

    Police and Child Youth and Family officials will be warned to not prosecute parents for lightly smacking their children.

    Prime Minister John Key told the Sunday Star-Times in Sydney yesterday he was planning to introduce “increased safeguards” to prevent parents who gave their children “minor” or “inconsequential” smacks from being either investigated or prosecuted.

    The PM claims that he actually supports the view of those who voted no.

    Mr Key also told TVNZ’s Q&A programme this morning that he agreed with the result. “I agree and support their view there, I think it would be totally inappropriate for a New Zealand parent to be prosecuted for lightly smacking a child.

    Here’s the problem: Their (our) view is that a smack as part of good aprental correction should not be a criminal offence. Unless the law is changed, it will continue to be a criminal offence. To say that it will remain a criminal offence, but police will be advised not to prosecute these criminals, is not to share our view at all.

    Criminals should be prosecuted. If a reasonable smack (not a punch, a whipping, a “good hiding,” etc) as part of normal correction should never be prosecuted, then it should not be a crime in law, which it currently is.

    Stop being half hearted, Mr Key. If you share our view, as you claim to, that a smack should not be a crime, then seek a law change so that a smack is not a crime. It’s not complicated. We’re waiting.

    Leave comments here

    Write to John Key and the Cabinet

    https://familyintegrity.org.nz/2009/the-message-is-clear-decriminalise-light-smacking/

    and

    http://familyintegrity.org.nz/2009/referendumsection-59-the-way-forward/