http://www.stuff.co.nz/4593757a10.html
“The Office of the Clerk will check the petition over the next two months and if the threshold was met the Government would have one month to name a date.”
23 June – 23 Aug – Clerk will check the petition
23 Aug – 23 Sept – Government would have one month to name a date for the CIR (preferably the same time as the election to save the tax payer millions of $$$$).
23 June 2008
(petition to be presented on steps of Parliament at 12.30pm)
Large Stack of Signatures Confirms Referendum at Election
Family First NZ says that the extra ‘stack’ of signatures on the petition opposing the anti-smacking law and being presented at Parliament today confirms that the politicians failed to listen to the voice of the people when passing this unpopular and ineffective law.
“The law would never have passed if the two major political parties had not ‘whipped’ their MP’s to vote for the anti-smacking law, which is highly ironic in itself,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
“But the massive response to the petition, combined with recent polls showing 85% support for changing the law, demonstrates just how unpopular the law is. The petition is a simple plea from NZ’ers – don’t criminalise the actions of good parents who are trying to raise law-abiding and productive citizens of the future.”
“When the author of the law change Sue Bradford tells us that the law change was never intended to deal with the epidemic of child abuse and child violence, it is quite obvious that this law change was not about solving a problem – it was about telling parents how to raise their children. And parents who are already doing a great job have responded by saying “we’re doing fine thanks.”
“If the purpose of the law was not to ban smacking, as promised by the Prime Minister before the last election, the law should explicitly state this. It should not be left open to potential persecution of parents through complaints by schools, members of the public and children, and investigations by police and CYFS,” says Mr McCoskrie.
“We are now also seeing clear evidence of good parents being prosecuted in courts for correcting their children in ways that were promised would not be caught under the new law.”
Family First is calling on the politicians to amend the law so that good parents are not criminalised for reasonable and appropriate correction of children.
“There is good reason that only 23 of the almost 200 countries have adopted this law. 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,”
ENDS
For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:
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Hi Barbara,
Who said it????
“She wants to busy herself with what goes on in the homes of the nation in areas which families regard as their own responsibility, and I think she’s going over a very dangerous line.”
Who said this? HELEN CLARK IN 1998
Who was she referring to? JENNY SHIPLEY – THE PRIME MINISTER AT THE TIME
Source – Dominion Post 30 March 1998 (referring to Shipley’s proposed code of social and family responsibility, and her suggestion of values and religious teaching in schools – SHOCK HORROR!!!)
Green Party Misinterprets and Misrepresents Research on Anti-smacking Law
Green MP Sue Bradford has tried to say that our research on attitudes to the highly unpopular anti-smacking law shows that the number of people smacking has decreased, but she’s comparing ‘apples’ with ‘oranges’.
Last year (just before the law came into force), we asked ALL respondents (grandparents, parents, people not married, even people without kids!) whether they would ignore the law if they felt it appropriate. Not “had they” but “would they”. 78% said they would. This year we asked only parents with under 12’s whether they actually had flouted the law – a much smaller sample but far more relevant – 48% (51% of mums) admitted flouting the law . Sue Bradford tried to interpret this as a drop from 78% to 48%. But as anyone can see, they are completely different groups in a different setting.
Significanly though, 51% who admit smacking is the same figure as a government funded poll in 2005. In other words, nothing has changed! Parents are carrying on doing what they know is best – even with the law change.
The Greens have tried to ‘twist’ the data and the media have failed to pick up on it. The figure they should be taking notice of is the whopping 85% who want the law changed . Let’s hope that Ms Bradford isn’t responsible for global warming statistics as well!!!!!
Click here for the names and email addresses of those MPs who need to be targeted over Sue Bradford’s Anti-Smacking Bill
http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/files/MPs%20to%20target%20re%20smacking.xls
1st reading to repeal Section 59 of the Crimes Act.
Wednesday 27 July 2005
65 MPs for
54 MPs against
Support for 1st reading:
Labour
Greens
The Progressives
The Maori Party
Two of NZ First’s 13 MPs