Family Integrity

Tag: Politics

  • Family First Welcomes Comments by Key on Smacking Referendum

    MEDIA RELEASE

    9 September 2008

    Family First Welcomes Comments by Key on Smacking Referendum

    Family First NZ is welcoming comments made by National leader John Key at the Forum on the Family in Auckland yesterday that National will listen to the results of a Referendum on the anti-smacking law.

    “The large majority of politicians ignored the overwhelming majority of NZ’ers who were opposed to the legislation in the first place. Labour is now trying to ‘bury’ the Referendum for political expediency. And there is no guarantee that any party will even listen to the result of the Referendum,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

    “This is the first indication that National will acknowledge the voice of NZ’ers on this contentious issue.”

    “Polls continue to show overwhelming opposition to the anti-smacking law because it has failed to deal with actual child abuse, has targeted good families with investigation, prosecutions and persecution, yet has been trumpeted by supporters as a success because nobody has been imprisoned.”

    “NZ needs laws that target actual child abuse, prevent child abuse deaths, and that target the major contributing causes including drug and alcohol abuse, family breakdown, and rotten parents.”

    “Voters should never have had to resort to a Referendum in the first place to be heard. The message was clear to politicians.”

    ENDS

    For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

    Bob McCoskrie JP – National Director

    Tel. 09 261 2426 | Mob. 027 55 555 42

  • Investment in prevention to reduce intervention

    United Future news and views with Judy Turner MP

    \
    Straight talk…

    In the six years I have been in Parliament I have never been able to shake off a deep-seated disquiet about the way we approach child protection in New Zealand.

    I continue to have more questions than answers and remain convinced that those involved are very well intended.

    Our system is based on notifications being investigated and where abuse is substantiated there follows an intervention. Every year in New Zealand notifications go up by about 15% and of course the number of children taken in to care from substantiated cases is on the increase.

    The burden of such high levels of notifications and removals impact not only on the children and their families but also on the system which is trying to resource them. The work overload can result in high numbers of unallocated cases, hasty assessments, high staff turn over and workforce shortages, premature case closure, and inadequate monitoring of children in placement.

    Children taken in to care often experience multiple placements which pose risks to their mental health and emotional wellbeing. There is even emerging overseas research suggesting that children in foster care could be more damaged by being removed from their parents and being subject to multiple placements than had they remained with their families.

    I have had contact with lots of parents and caregivers seriously traumatised by investigations.

    This week I have read an interesting paper from Australia suggesting that if we want to reduce child abuse and neglect then there are some lessons to be learnt from the preventative approach of our Public Health System.

    The authors suggest that there needs to be primary, secondary and tertiary prevention initiatives that include:

    · Universal services for children and their families at the primary level

    · Targeted prevention services for identified vulnerable families at the secondary level

    · Tertiary interventions for children in need of protection.

    Investment in prevention to reduce intervention …. Sounds good to me!

    QUOTE:

    “ … universal prevention activities not only have the potential for preventing abuse and neglect; they also enhance child health and well-being overall by improving behaviour problems and school readiness”

    Triple P Parenting programme

  • Concern about Bias of Families Commission Confirmed

    MEDIA RELEASE

    August 2008

    Concern about Bias of Families Commission Confirmed

    Family First NZ says the appointment of the just-retired Chief Families Commissioner Rajen Prasad to the Labour party list confirms concerns that the Commission wasn’t independent enough to truly represent families.

    “We were always concerned that the Commission wasn’t independent enough to represent the voice of families on important issues, for example the anti-smacking law,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

    “Despite an overwhelming number of families opposed to the law change, the Families Commission blindly supported the legislation. The appointment of Rajen Prasad to the Labour party list suggests that the Commission was more concerned with listening to the government’s agenda than to the concerns of families.”

    Other perceived biases included

    · the shutting down of research by the Rotorua People’s Advocacy Centre which was funded by the Commission, and which highlighted the concerns of solo parents on the DPB. The research was muzzled by the government through the Ministry of Social Development and the Families Commission because they didn’t agree with its conclusions

    · the inability of the Commission to acknowledge and promote the benefits of marriage and importance of family structure, especially as it relates to domestic violence, child abuse, and poverty

    · silence on whether the government emphasis on early childhood education is in the best interests of very young children, and families in general

    “The plethora of Commissions that we have in NZ will only be of benefit when they are independent enough from the government of the day to represent the sector that they are supposed to without hidden agendas or future career opportunities.”

    “The concerns we expressed about the independence of the Families Commission, or lack of it, appear to have been confirmed,” says Mr McCoskrie.

    ENDS

    For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

    Bob McCoskrie JP – National Director

    Tel. 09 261 2426 | Mob. 027 55 555 42

  • SUCCESS! NZ’ers Deliver Strong Message on Anti-Smacking Law

    SUCCESS!

    NZ’ers Deliver Strong Message on Anti-Smacking Law

    Family First Media Release 22 August 2008

    Family First NZ is welcoming the success of the petition demanding a Referendum on the flawed anti-smacking law.

    “To reach the required 285,000 signatures is difficult enough, but the final result shows that an extra 25,000 signatures have been attained. This is evidence of just how strong the opposition to this law is,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

    “The evidence is pouring in that good families are being both persecuted and also prosecuted with eight prosecutions for minor acts of physical discipline in a recent six month period.”

    “The rate of CYF notifications has sky-rocketed yet actual cases of child abuse found are remaining the same, and in some areas like the Waikato, actually falling.”

    “The anti-smacking law has failed miserably. You know a law is flawed when it fails to address the problem it was supposed to, and implicates good families in the process. Supporters of the law are trying to herald its success because they incorrectly claim nobody has been prosecuted. But we actually want a law that works and catches actual child abuse!”

    “The only reason the law was passed in the first place was because the two major parties were whipped to vote for it – which is a little ironic in itself, being an anti-smacking law,” says Mr McCoskrie.

    Family First NZ continues to call on the politicians to change the law so that non-abusive smacking is not a crime (as wanted by 85% of NZ’ers according to research), and to tackle the real causes of child abuse.

    ENDS

    www.familyfirst.org.nz

  • Petition succeeds- referendum to be held

    The Kiwi Party
    Press Release

    Kiwi Party Leader and CIR Petition organiser Larry Baldock welcomed the news today that the petition has been certified by the Clerk of the House of Representatives to have achieved sufficient signatures to force a referendum on the question, “should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?”

    “This is great news and a huge victory,” said Mr Baldock.

    “It has been a long battle to assert the right of all New Zealanders to be heard on this controversial issue. Quite frankly in a democracy it should not require so much effort. I want to pay tribute to Sheryl Savill who was prepared to put her name to the petition, and the thousands of volunteers that have helped us collect over 390,000 signatures,” Mr Baldock said.

    The clerk of the house has declared that 310,000 signatures were certified as valid.

    This means there were over 25 000 more signatures than the 285 027 required by the CIR Act 1993 to force a referendum.

    “The referendum should be held at this year’s election. None of the reasons being given by the Prime Minister for delaying it make any sense at all, and are simply a tactic for her to try and avoid this being an election issue. She will not drown out the voice of the people and should realise there is no point further angering everyone by delaying the inevitable.

    “Justice delayed is justice denied, Prime Minister. 110 MPs should never have ignored 80% of the population in the first place, and the right thing to do now is to let every Kiwi have their say as quickly as possible.

    “The Kiwi Party have made it our number one priority to ensure that voice of the people in this referendum is respected. There is ample evidence that good mums and dads are now being prosecuted by this new law, while there is no evidence that it has led to any reduction in the real child abuse we are all concerned about,” said Mr Baldock.

    Ends

    Contact Larry Baldock
    021864833

    www.thekiwiparty.org.nz

  • Working for Families breaches International law.

    Thanks Ruby for bringing this to our attention:
    Hi Everyone,

    Working for Families breaches international law.

    I imagine you have seen this article:

    Wednesday, 2 July 2008, 3:18 pm
    Press Release: Public Health Association

    2 July 2008

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0807/S00026.htm

    Working for Families breaches international law: policy research

    Policy research from the University of Otago Wellington has found that in the initial development of Working for Families (WFF) (2002-May 2004) the Government failed to consider children’s rights, including their right to health, breaching binding international law.

    Keep up your good work.
    All the best
    Ruby Harrold-Claesson

    http://www.nkmr.org

  • Kiwi Party leader outlines first five pledges.

    Addressing his party’s annual conference today, party leader Larry Baldock announced their first five priorities for action they would be working on after the election.

    “Our number one priority is of course to stop the criminalisation of good parents by repealing the anti-smacking law. This has to be the most anti-family socially destructive legislation parliament has passed in a long while. Completing the petition to force a referendum was always only going to be the first stage of the battle,” said Mr Baldock

    “It is simply not good enough for John Key to say he supports the peoples’ right to have their voice heard in a referendum without committing his Government to abide by the result.

    “In fact when National’s leader John Key announced their pledge of 10 policy items at their conference last weekend not a single one of them addresses any of the social engineering Labour has forced upon the nation in the past 6 -9 years.

    National surely is the party to maintain the status quo, easy she goes, don’t rock the boat.
    It is essential therefore that the Kiwi party is able to exercise influence over National after this years election if voters want to see the social engineering of Labour repealed.

    “Our message to the voters in this election is this, give the Kiwi party your support on Election Day and the Bradford anti-smacking law will be gone by lunchtime. Once the law has been repealed we must then get serious about the nations child abuse by appointing a Royal Commission  to understand and address the wider causes of family breakdown, family violence and child abuse in response to the more than 300, 000 kiwis that signed our petition on this matter.

    “Then we must restore our democracy by ensuring that we can have binding referenda on controversial issues. It must never happen again that more than 90% of our elected representatives could ignore 80% of the population ever again……….

    Contact Larry Baldock
    Party Leader
    021864833

    www.thekiwiparty.org.nz

  • Cindy Kiro’s got her hand in your wallet

    This blog is worth reading:

    http://libertyscott.blogspot.com/2008/08/cindy-kiros-got-her-hand-in-your-wallet.html

  • Parents Reject Anti-Smacking Bill

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0808/S00017.htm

    Parents Reject Anti-Smacking Bill

    Saturday, 2 August 2008, 4:07 pm
    Press Release: Family First

    MEDIA RELEASE

    87% Of Parents of Young Children Reject Anti-Smacking Bill

    Family First NZ says that the Littlies website poll which found that 87% of parents of young children don’t think the anti-smacking law is effective is confirmation that NZ’ers have soundly rejected the law change and its time the politicians listened and changed it.

    The www.littlies.co.nz poll asked “One year on, do you think the anti-smacking Bill has proved to be effective?” 87% said No, and a further 7% were unsure. Only 7% said it was effective.

    According to their website, Littlies Magazine is the country’s fastest growing and only monthly parenting magazine. They reach more families with children 0-5 years than any other parenting magazine in New Zealand (81,000 families).

    “This is the voice of kiwi parents. The opposition to the anti-smacking law is just as strong as it was when it was first pushed by the Prime Minister and Sue Bradford,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ, “and follows on from other polls which have recorded similar opposition.”

    A Research International poll in February found that 74% parents believed it should be legal to smack; a Family First commissioned poll in May found that 85% wanted the law changed to allow light smacking; a TVNZ website poll in June found that 85% wanted the anti-smacking law scrapped; and a NZ Herald poll in June found that 81% wanted a referendum on the smacking legislation at this year’s election.

    “The anti-smacking lobby has tried to argue that NZ’ers have changed their mind on the legislation and that the 390,000 NZ’ers who signed the petition were either misled or have changed their mind. These arguments have been found wanting and smack of desperation,” says Mr McCoskrie.

    “It’s time to tackle the real causes of child abuse, violence and crime without criminalising the efforts of good parents raising productive and law-abiding citizens of the future.”

    “NZ can lead the world by being the first country to reverse this flawed law before its effects are fully felt by families and the community,” says Mr McCoskrie.

    ENDS