Some interesting blogs relating to the father giving his son a flick on the ear and 6, yes, six police turning up minutes later.
http://thepauapalace.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/father-wants-warning-removed-from-record/
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/01/six_police_officers_for_smacking_complaint.html
http://big-news.blogspot.com/
http://nzconservative.blogspot.com/2008/01/doing-bradford.html
http://newzeal.blogspot.com/2008/01/is-anti-smacking-law-turning-us-into.html
http://obaldnz.blogspot.com/2008/01/slim-pickings.html
http://www.gog.org.nz/2008/01/15/another-smack-in-the-face-for-democracy/
Monday, 14 January 2008
Some Normal Families caught up with Police and CYFs since Section 59 amended,
Check out earlier cases here:
http://familyintegrity.blogspot.com/2007/11/some-normal-families-caught-up-with.html
Plus
DECEMER 2007
**Grandmother Warned by Police After Grabbing Grandchild Running onto Road South Auckland. This grandmother had to prevent her 2 year old grandson from running onto the road by grabbing his arm and pulling him back to the footpath. She was petrified that her grandson could be run over. A police officer witnessed her and said she was breaking the law by grabbing him. She was let off with a warning but was told that if it ever happened again, they would prosecute her. She had recently lost a friend’s child (6) to a train crash. (Takanini) She now puts him in the pram to avoid getting arrested. Her family is horrified by what's happened and she's now concerned about taking her grandchildren out in public. She feels she's been publicly humiliated. Another grandmother came up to her and said she'd been interviewed by the police for giving her 4 year old grandson a smack on the bottom in Countdown for swearing at her. The woman was taken to the police station to be interviewed. http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/cases.html
** Passerby Reports Squealing Child Auckland. Tanya had two police officers arrive on her doorstep as she was hosting visitors on a Saturday night. The police informed her that a ‘passer by’ had heard a child being smacked and subsequently screaming. They could not tell the mum what day this occurred on, what time or who the person was. She explained to them that her 9 year old daughter squeals when she plays, particularly when outside on the trampoline with her brother. She likes to play hard with her 13 year old brother – and inevitably she sometimes gets hurts – and performs! The mum says the passer-by could have heard her children 'playing' – “do I have to stop them having fun??” “We don't smack our kids (or if we have in the past, it has been minor) and this incident did not occur. I informed the officers accordingly. They insisted that they needed to see my daughter. I informed them that she was now with her father as we share custody. I gave them full contact details. They told me they would have to go around there to check she was OK.” “I have found the whole episode to be extremely distressing. I felt completely humiliated to literally be accused of child abuse and have now found it hard to sleep at night at it has upset me so much - how I look after and care for my children is being questioned. On hearsay I am now a guilty person. This new law is ending up with a lot of good innocent parents being wrongfully accused. This law needs to be changed.” http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/cases.html\
** We also know of a family where CYFs has taken the daughter because she was smacked when she swore at her mother.
** Eight year old’s Class Taught to Dob in Parents – Behaviour Deteriorates
Hawkes Bay. The police went to a local primary school and did a session on “Keeping Ourselves Safe.” During the session, the policeman told this particular class of 7 and 8 year olds that parents couldn’t smack them, and that if they did, they should immediately tell the teacher. This was not the only school in the area where this message was given. Within the next few days, this solo mum’s 8 year old daughter who had been in this session and who had had a ‘clean’ record at school all year was stood down for kicking the teacher in the leg. She also kept telling her mother “you can’t make me do anything - you can’t smack me”, following the lesson. Her older child (10) also told the mother that “you can’t make me go to school.”
The mother went to the police to clarify what they had said and to tell them the difficulties she'd had since their visit to the school. The Sergeant was obliging and said he would sort it out by sending the officer involved to speak to the girls and reinstate her authority. An angry phone call from the officer followed to the mother, questioning whether she had a problem with the smacking law. Two days later 2 male officers arrived to supposedly reinstate the mother’s authority but instead they questioned her parenting skills and told her they had investigated her background with a variety of community organisations. They had her in tears and she found them intimidating and degrading. They also proceeded to tell the children their rights. Yet amazingly the police said to the mother the daughter deserved a smack after kicking the teacher. The mother in desperation at her treatment spoke to her local MP, & was then contacted by the District Commander of the Police who told her not to go complaining to the MP because he had better things to do. The mother was traumatised by all this, and has laid a formal complaint with the Police but to no avail. http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/cases.html
**Mother Investigated After 4 Year Old Smacked For Running Out on Road West Auckland Jackie’s 4 year old ran across the road outside a busy supermarket when she saw a friend on other side of road. The mum smacked her on the bottom once to show her how dangerous her actions were. A member of the public challenged the way she had disciplined her child, took her vehicle registration, and the mum was visited by police two days later. She felt like a criminal and embarrassed by it all. She said “please don’t take my daughter” to the police. They did a police check to see if it had happened before. The Police (who had kids as well) told the mum they felt it was a waste of time. The daughter said “what’s wrong mummy,” and was upset by it all. http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/cases.html
JANUARY 2008
**Father warned for disciplining boy, 3. A Christchurch father is fuming after he received a police warning for hitting a child after he flicked his son's ear in public as a reprimand. Professional musician Jimmy Mason flicked the ear of his son, Seth, at the Bridge of Remembrance just before Christmas after the three-year-old disobeyed his instructions while riding his new bike....A nearby teacher took umbrage, an off-duty policewoman rang the incident in and in minutes later Mason was surrounded by six police officers. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4354765a10.html
http://familyintegrity.blogspot.com/2007/11/some-normal-families-caught-up-with.html
Plus
DECEMER 2007
**Grandmother Warned by Police After Grabbing Grandchild Running onto Road South Auckland. This grandmother had to prevent her 2 year old grandson from running onto the road by grabbing his arm and pulling him back to the footpath. She was petrified that her grandson could be run over. A police officer witnessed her and said she was breaking the law by grabbing him. She was let off with a warning but was told that if it ever happened again, they would prosecute her. She had recently lost a friend’s child (6) to a train crash. (Takanini) She now puts him in the pram to avoid getting arrested. Her family is horrified by what's happened and she's now concerned about taking her grandchildren out in public. She feels she's been publicly humiliated. Another grandmother came up to her and said she'd been interviewed by the police for giving her 4 year old grandson a smack on the bottom in Countdown for swearing at her. The woman was taken to the police station to be interviewed. http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/cases.html
** Passerby Reports Squealing Child Auckland. Tanya had two police officers arrive on her doorstep as she was hosting visitors on a Saturday night. The police informed her that a ‘passer by’ had heard a child being smacked and subsequently screaming. They could not tell the mum what day this occurred on, what time or who the person was. She explained to them that her 9 year old daughter squeals when she plays, particularly when outside on the trampoline with her brother. She likes to play hard with her 13 year old brother – and inevitably she sometimes gets hurts – and performs! The mum says the passer-by could have heard her children 'playing' – “do I have to stop them having fun??” “We don't smack our kids (or if we have in the past, it has been minor) and this incident did not occur. I informed the officers accordingly. They insisted that they needed to see my daughter. I informed them that she was now with her father as we share custody. I gave them full contact details. They told me they would have to go around there to check she was OK.” “I have found the whole episode to be extremely distressing. I felt completely humiliated to literally be accused of child abuse and have now found it hard to sleep at night at it has upset me so much - how I look after and care for my children is being questioned. On hearsay I am now a guilty person. This new law is ending up with a lot of good innocent parents being wrongfully accused. This law needs to be changed.” http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/cases.html\
** We also know of a family where CYFs has taken the daughter because she was smacked when she swore at her mother.
** Eight year old’s Class Taught to Dob in Parents – Behaviour Deteriorates
Hawkes Bay. The police went to a local primary school and did a session on “Keeping Ourselves Safe.” During the session, the policeman told this particular class of 7 and 8 year olds that parents couldn’t smack them, and that if they did, they should immediately tell the teacher. This was not the only school in the area where this message was given. Within the next few days, this solo mum’s 8 year old daughter who had been in this session and who had had a ‘clean’ record at school all year was stood down for kicking the teacher in the leg. She also kept telling her mother “you can’t make me do anything - you can’t smack me”, following the lesson. Her older child (10) also told the mother that “you can’t make me go to school.”
The mother went to the police to clarify what they had said and to tell them the difficulties she'd had since their visit to the school. The Sergeant was obliging and said he would sort it out by sending the officer involved to speak to the girls and reinstate her authority. An angry phone call from the officer followed to the mother, questioning whether she had a problem with the smacking law. Two days later 2 male officers arrived to supposedly reinstate the mother’s authority but instead they questioned her parenting skills and told her they had investigated her background with a variety of community organisations. They had her in tears and she found them intimidating and degrading. They also proceeded to tell the children their rights. Yet amazingly the police said to the mother the daughter deserved a smack after kicking the teacher. The mother in desperation at her treatment spoke to her local MP, & was then contacted by the District Commander of the Police who told her not to go complaining to the MP because he had better things to do. The mother was traumatised by all this, and has laid a formal complaint with the Police but to no avail. http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/cases.html
**Mother Investigated After 4 Year Old Smacked For Running Out on Road West Auckland Jackie’s 4 year old ran across the road outside a busy supermarket when she saw a friend on other side of road. The mum smacked her on the bottom once to show her how dangerous her actions were. A member of the public challenged the way she had disciplined her child, took her vehicle registration, and the mum was visited by police two days later. She felt like a criminal and embarrassed by it all. She said “please don’t take my daughter” to the police. They did a police check to see if it had happened before. The Police (who had kids as well) told the mum they felt it was a waste of time. The daughter said “what’s wrong mummy,” and was upset by it all. http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/cases.html
JANUARY 2008
**Father warned for disciplining boy, 3. A Christchurch father is fuming after he received a police warning for hitting a child after he flicked his son's ear in public as a reprimand. Professional musician Jimmy Mason flicked the ear of his son, Seth, at the Bridge of Remembrance just before Christmas after the three-year-old disobeyed his instructions while riding his new bike....A nearby teacher took umbrage, an off-duty policewoman rang the incident in and in minutes later Mason was surrounded by six police officers. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4354765a10.html
FI - 339
14 January 2008 - Family Integrity #339 -- U4L, update 13 Jan
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 7:51 PM
Subject: U4L, update
Hi all,
The latest signature count is 259,385. And this doesn't include the totals from this weekend!
Last week's total:
Sth Akld Door Knocking 215
Chch fold on holiday in Akld 250
Hawkes Bay 98
Tauranga 745
Papakura 100
Howick 100
Otara Flea Market 180
Hokitika 301
Buller A & P Show 70
North Shore 235
Pukekohe 60
Total: 2354
Cheers,
Craig
021 746 113
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke 1728-1797)
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 7:51 PM
Subject: U4L, update
Hi all,
The latest signature count is 259,385. And this doesn't include the totals from this weekend!
Last week's total:
Sth Akld Door Knocking 215
Chch fold on holiday in Akld 250
Hawkes Bay 98
Tauranga 745
Papakura 100
Howick 100
Otara Flea Market 180
Hokitika 301
Buller A & P Show 70
North Shore 235
Pukekohe 60
Total: 2354
Cheers,
Craig
021 746 113
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke 1728-1797)
Media - Father warned
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4354765a10.html
Father warned for disciplining boy, 3
By PHIL HAMILTON - The Press | Monday, 14 January 2008
A Christchurch father is fuming after he received a police warning for hitting a child after he flicked his son's ear in public as a reprimand.
Professional musician Jimmy Mason flicked the ear of his son, Seth, at the Bridge of Remembrance just before Christmas after the three-year-old disobeyed his instructions while riding his new bike.
The toddler took off down a ramp and was followed by his brother, Zach, two, who was also on a new bike. Seth made the tight corner but Zach did not, and injured his eye.
"Seth just wanted to go on riding. He didn't realise the seriousness of it with the youngest one slipping in and out of consciousness," Mason said.
"So I turned to Seth and flicked him on the ear and told him to shut up while we fixed up the young one," Mason said.
A nearby teacher took umbrage, an off-duty policewoman rang the incident in and in minutes later Mason was surrounded by six police officers.
"They were going to arrest me and were trying to ascertain whether it was safe for the kids to go home with me," he said.
"It was pretty bizarre to tell you the truth."
Mason said he took his sons biking every day and they needed to obey his instructions to the letter in order to stay safe.
"When I say 'stop' to the kids they have got to stop," he said. "I said to the cops that I need to impress upon him (Seth) what he did was wrong and I need to impress it on him straight away and asked them how they suggested I do it.
"They didn't know and I said to them, 'Well, you've just told me what I did was wrong so you must know what is right'."
In the end, Mason was not charged but he was told that a warning would go on his record for hitting his child.
"It needs to be on record that I disciplined him for something he deserved, not that I'm a child beater.
"There's an irony there that they can spray, Taser or shoot me but I can't flick my son in the ear to stop him getting run over at an intersection."
He was considering legal action to have the warning removed from his record.
He felt sorry for the police having to administer the amended child-discipline law which came into force in June last year.
Inspector Rick Jury said he could not discuss individual cases but the law gave the police some discretion.
"It says every parent is justified in using force if it's reasonable in the circumstances," he said. One of the specific clauses allowing some force was for the purposes of preventing or minimising harm, and the legislation allowed police to make a determination over whether it was "inconsequential" and not in the public interest to prosecute.
Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said cases like this showed the law was an ass.
"It just seems totally over the top," he said. "That's the problem with this law, it's lost the common-sense element. It's a feel-good law change but has done nothing to protect kids who are actually being abused."
A police spokeswoman said a review since the amendment found that between June and September last year police were called to three smacking incidents and 12 minor acts of physical discipline. The 15 cases were determined to be "inconsequential" and not worth prosecuting, although nine warnings were issued.
Father warned for disciplining boy, 3
By PHIL HAMILTON - The Press | Monday, 14 January 2008
A Christchurch father is fuming after he received a police warning for hitting a child after he flicked his son's ear in public as a reprimand.
Professional musician Jimmy Mason flicked the ear of his son, Seth, at the Bridge of Remembrance just before Christmas after the three-year-old disobeyed his instructions while riding his new bike.
The toddler took off down a ramp and was followed by his brother, Zach, two, who was also on a new bike. Seth made the tight corner but Zach did not, and injured his eye.
"Seth just wanted to go on riding. He didn't realise the seriousness of it with the youngest one slipping in and out of consciousness," Mason said.
"So I turned to Seth and flicked him on the ear and told him to shut up while we fixed up the young one," Mason said.
A nearby teacher took umbrage, an off-duty policewoman rang the incident in and in minutes later Mason was surrounded by six police officers.
"They were going to arrest me and were trying to ascertain whether it was safe for the kids to go home with me," he said.
"It was pretty bizarre to tell you the truth."
Mason said he took his sons biking every day and they needed to obey his instructions to the letter in order to stay safe.
"When I say 'stop' to the kids they have got to stop," he said. "I said to the cops that I need to impress upon him (Seth) what he did was wrong and I need to impress it on him straight away and asked them how they suggested I do it.
"They didn't know and I said to them, 'Well, you've just told me what I did was wrong so you must know what is right'."
In the end, Mason was not charged but he was told that a warning would go on his record for hitting his child.
"It needs to be on record that I disciplined him for something he deserved, not that I'm a child beater.
"There's an irony there that they can spray, Taser or shoot me but I can't flick my son in the ear to stop him getting run over at an intersection."
He was considering legal action to have the warning removed from his record.
He felt sorry for the police having to administer the amended child-discipline law which came into force in June last year.
Inspector Rick Jury said he could not discuss individual cases but the law gave the police some discretion.
"It says every parent is justified in using force if it's reasonable in the circumstances," he said. One of the specific clauses allowing some force was for the purposes of preventing or minimising harm, and the legislation allowed police to make a determination over whether it was "inconsequential" and not in the public interest to prosecute.
Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said cases like this showed the law was an ass.
"It just seems totally over the top," he said. "That's the problem with this law, it's lost the common-sense element. It's a feel-good law change but has done nothing to protect kids who are actually being abused."
A police spokeswoman said a review since the amendment found that between June and September last year police were called to three smacking incidents and 12 minor acts of physical discipline. The 15 cases were determined to be "inconsequential" and not worth prosecuting, although nine warnings were issued.
Friday, 11 January 2008
FI - 338 - U4L; This Weekend
11 January 2008 - Family Integrity #338 -- U4L; This Weekend
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 9:59 PM
Subject: U4L; This Weekend
Hi All,
It's been a successful last two weeks, the Hawke's Bay team are leading the way and averaging 200sigs a day. Larry Baldock had a terrific day today with approx 1500sigs.
Grand total will be on web tomorrow night, still waiting for update. Will be between 256,500 and 258,000, and with a good effort this weekend, we should be at 260,000 plus.
The new equation will be something like 1125 folk x 40 sig = 45,000
This weekend most areas are all go, go to http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz/summer-challenge.html for your local contacts
LETS TARGET WELLINGTON
Our man in Wellington is working overtime to drum up some action, If anyone can help this weekend please contact him at lowerhutt@unityforliberty.net.nz
Wayne's Invitation
Hi all. I trust you had a wonderful Christmas and pleasant start to the new year.
I realize that the timing and the holiday period may not be particularly good for some of us but I am planning on a big push in Wellington on Saturday 12 Jan. I propose the venue be Cuba Mall. This obviously would be weather permitting.
While we have had some success with setting up a table on the corner of Cuba & Manners mall, I feel we could do better actually in Cuba Mall itself. I am hoping to set up the table AND have folks move about the crowd with clipboards.
For this to happen we need a good number of volunteers. For the size of Wellington, this shouldn't really be a problem.
Please could you consider being available for the 12th and if you know of others who would be willing to help, please could you involve them also. I really want to push this and bring our contribution up.
Many thanks
Wayne
I thank all those for their effort so far, now lets drive this thing home, we're in the home straight and looking good.
Craig Hill
021 746 113
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke 1728-1797)
A huge thanks to everyone that come door knocking last Monday night. Although the majority of the volunteers had never door knocked before, they went fantastically, and soon looked like pros.
Lets see if next Monday can go just as well. Meeting again at Grande Vue Reserve, we hope to finish off the Hill Park area. More volunteers welcome!
Hope to see you there.
South Auckland Door Knocking Group
Meeting together one night every week to assist in collecting the remaining 45,000 signatures for the Citizens Initiated Referendum (CIR) on smacking.
When: every Monday night over the Jan/Feb period. Meeting at 6pm, door knocking from 6.30pm - 8pm.
Where: around the South Auckland area. Location to be advised weekly.
Monday 14th January: We're meeting again in Grande Vue Reserve, corner of Grande Vue Road and Great South Road, Manurewa
Bring: pens, petition forms, and a clipboard (if you own one). A limited supply of clipboards will be made available each week.
Email: For more information, or to commit to one or more evenings, please contact Gaylene gaylene@unityforliberty.net.nz or 021 076 7211.
HELP DO YOUR BIT FOR OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE. We only need a weekly commitment from 40 people, in order to collect over 1,000 signatures each week. Imagine how many signatures we could collect with even more volunteers....
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 9:59 PM
Subject: U4L; This Weekend
Hi All,
It's been a successful last two weeks, the Hawke's Bay team are leading the way and averaging 200sigs a day. Larry Baldock had a terrific day today with approx 1500sigs.
Grand total will be on web tomorrow night, still waiting for update. Will be between 256,500 and 258,000, and with a good effort this weekend, we should be at 260,000 plus.
The new equation will be something like 1125 folk x 40 sig = 45,000
This weekend most areas are all go, go to http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz/summer-challenge.html for your local contacts
LETS TARGET WELLINGTON
Our man in Wellington is working overtime to drum up some action, If anyone can help this weekend please contact him at lowerhutt@unityforliberty.net.nz
Wayne's Invitation
Hi all. I trust you had a wonderful Christmas and pleasant start to the new year.
I realize that the timing and the holiday period may not be particularly good for some of us but I am planning on a big push in Wellington on Saturday 12 Jan. I propose the venue be Cuba Mall. This obviously would be weather permitting.
While we have had some success with setting up a table on the corner of Cuba & Manners mall, I feel we could do better actually in Cuba Mall itself. I am hoping to set up the table AND have folks move about the crowd with clipboards.
For this to happen we need a good number of volunteers. For the size of Wellington, this shouldn't really be a problem.
Please could you consider being available for the 12th and if you know of others who would be willing to help, please could you involve them also. I really want to push this and bring our contribution up.
Many thanks
Wayne
I thank all those for their effort so far, now lets drive this thing home, we're in the home straight and looking good.
Craig Hill
021 746 113
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke 1728-1797)
A huge thanks to everyone that come door knocking last Monday night. Although the majority of the volunteers had never door knocked before, they went fantastically, and soon looked like pros.
Lets see if next Monday can go just as well. Meeting again at Grande Vue Reserve, we hope to finish off the Hill Park area. More volunteers welcome!
Hope to see you there.
South Auckland Door Knocking Group
Meeting together one night every week to assist in collecting the remaining 45,000 signatures for the Citizens Initiated Referendum (CIR) on smacking.
When: every Monday night over the Jan/Feb period. Meeting at 6pm, door knocking from 6.30pm - 8pm.
Where: around the South Auckland area. Location to be advised weekly.
Monday 14th January: We're meeting again in Grande Vue Reserve, corner of Grande Vue Road and Great South Road, Manurewa
Bring: pens, petition forms, and a clipboard (if you own one). A limited supply of clipboards will be made available each week.
Email: For more information, or to commit to one or more evenings, please contact Gaylene gaylene@unityforliberty.net.nz or 021 076 7211.
HELP DO YOUR BIT FOR OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE. We only need a weekly commitment from 40 people, in order to collect over 1,000 signatures each week. Imagine how many signatures we could collect with even more volunteers....
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
NEW ZEALAND BANS SPANKING
http://groups.google.com/group/Bible-Prophecy-News/browse_thread/thread/8af861abe72cb932/48bb426efea41893?hl=en&q=%22Section+59%22#48bb426efea41893
NEW ZEALAND BANS SPANKING
This year three more countries banned spanking of children. In May New Zealand became the first English-speaking country to ban the practice. Over the past two months Uruguay and Venezuela have followed suit. New Zealand’s Crimes Amendment Act of 2007 abrogates section 59 of the Crimes Act of 1961 which allowed the “use of force” for correction of children. Activists such as Save the Children have fought to ban corporal punishment for decades. There are now 22 nations that ban spanking by law. Sweden was the first in 1979. Other nations are Austria, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, the Netherlands, and Ukraine. Humanists are fighting throughout the world to ban this practice, and the United Nations is pushing this agenda. It is a direct attack on God’s Word which exhorts parents, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15).
NEW ZEALAND BANS SPANKING
This year three more countries banned spanking of children. In May New Zealand became the first English-speaking country to ban the practice. Over the past two months Uruguay and Venezuela have followed suit. New Zealand’s Crimes Amendment Act of 2007 abrogates section 59 of the Crimes Act of 1961 which allowed the “use of force” for correction of children. Activists such as Save the Children have fought to ban corporal punishment for decades. There are now 22 nations that ban spanking by law. Sweden was the first in 1979. Other nations are Austria, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, the Netherlands, and Ukraine. Humanists are fighting throughout the world to ban this practice, and the United Nations is pushing this agenda. It is a direct attack on God’s Word which exhorts parents, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15).
Sunday, 6 January 2008
FI - 337 - U4L; Assault Charge
6 January 2008 - Family Integrity #337 -- U4L; Assault Charge
-----Original Message-----337
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 8:56 PM
Subject: U4L; Assault Charge
Hi All,
If you have not already heard through the media there was an incident at a table in Pukekohe on Friday. A woman tried to take and destroy collected signatures, the young lady manning the table managed to retrieve the signatures and was pushed to the ground in the process.
For your information, no doubt I will be accused of being negligent, however the young lady at the table is 18 years of age, not a child. Also, there was an on duty security guard who pulled the woman off the young lady. The media has already suggested the girl was only 16 years of age and was slapped.
Also, it must be noted that most of our volunteers are or have been woman and children. Sadly, the absence of men is quite noticeable. We have been deafened by their silence. It is my hope that as the deadline approaches we will see more men placing their hand to the plow.
For all those in the Auckland area, door knocking at Manurewa tomorrow night. This event will run on Monday nights until the end of February. Locations will change from week to week.
Meeting at Grand Vue Reserve (cnr Great South Rd and Grand Vue Rd, Manurewa) 6pm, door knocking from 6.30 to 8pm.
For more details, contact gaylene@unityforliberty.net.nz or phone 0210767211
Looking forward to seeing you.
Thank you,
Craig
Our Press release concerning the above incident,
Teenager Collecting Signatures Against Bradford Law Assaulted
4 January 2008
Unity for Liberty leader, Craig Hill, is stunned with the behavior of an opponent to the petition against the Sue Bradford anti-smacking law.
Mr Hill's 18 year old daughter was pushed to the ground by a woman who was trying to destroy the petition forms that had been signed at a shopping centre in Pukekohe this afternoon.
An assault complaint has been laid to the Police.
"It seems ironic that people who claim they are against abuse have no problems assaulting a teenage girl," says Mr Hill. "They seem unable to differentiate the difference between a smack and child abuse, and they also have no problem using unreasonable force on other people."
Unity for Liberty has collectors throughout NZ collecting signatures demanding a Referendum against Bradford's anti-smacking bill and demanding that the politicians tackle the real causes of child abuse.
Over 250,000 signatures have been collected already, and Mr Hill's daughter has been collecting signatures every weekend over the past 5 months and during the holiday period.
ENDS
For further details, contact:
Craig Hill 021 746 113
Unity for Liberty
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke 1728-1797)
-----Original Message-----337
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 8:56 PM
Subject: U4L; Assault Charge
Hi All,
If you have not already heard through the media there was an incident at a table in Pukekohe on Friday. A woman tried to take and destroy collected signatures, the young lady manning the table managed to retrieve the signatures and was pushed to the ground in the process.
For your information, no doubt I will be accused of being negligent, however the young lady at the table is 18 years of age, not a child. Also, there was an on duty security guard who pulled the woman off the young lady. The media has already suggested the girl was only 16 years of age and was slapped.
Also, it must be noted that most of our volunteers are or have been woman and children. Sadly, the absence of men is quite noticeable. We have been deafened by their silence. It is my hope that as the deadline approaches we will see more men placing their hand to the plow.
For all those in the Auckland area, door knocking at Manurewa tomorrow night. This event will run on Monday nights until the end of February. Locations will change from week to week.
Meeting at Grand Vue Reserve (cnr Great South Rd and Grand Vue Rd, Manurewa) 6pm, door knocking from 6.30 to 8pm.
For more details, contact gaylene@unityforliberty.net.nz or phone 0210767211
Looking forward to seeing you.
Thank you,
Craig
Our Press release concerning the above incident,
Teenager Collecting Signatures Against Bradford Law Assaulted
4 January 2008
Unity for Liberty leader, Craig Hill, is stunned with the behavior of an opponent to the petition against the Sue Bradford anti-smacking law.
Mr Hill's 18 year old daughter was pushed to the ground by a woman who was trying to destroy the petition forms that had been signed at a shopping centre in Pukekohe this afternoon.
An assault complaint has been laid to the Police.
"It seems ironic that people who claim they are against abuse have no problems assaulting a teenage girl," says Mr Hill. "They seem unable to differentiate the difference between a smack and child abuse, and they also have no problem using unreasonable force on other people."
Unity for Liberty has collectors throughout NZ collecting signatures demanding a Referendum against Bradford's anti-smacking bill and demanding that the politicians tackle the real causes of child abuse.
Over 250,000 signatures have been collected already, and Mr Hill's daughter has been collecting signatures every weekend over the past 5 months and during the holiday period.
ENDS
For further details, contact:
Craig Hill 021 746 113
Unity for Liberty
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke 1728-1797)
FI - 336 - U4L; Door knocking initiative
6 January 2008 - Family Integrity #336 -- U4L; Door knocking initiative
Hi All,
What a great announcement: 251,280 signatures.
As at the Jan 1st, our equation is 1293 folk x 5 Signatures x 8 Saturdays = 51,720, many numbers makes light work.
There is a new door knocking initiative starting in South Auckland, see next email. We encourage other areas to follow same format, thanks.
We still would like to see more hands on the plow, If you can help please contact your closet coordinator here. If there is no one near you contact myself at craig@unityforliberty.net.nz
Last week's total:
Hawkes Bay 691
Porirua 90
Pukekohe 370
Papakura 490
Tauranga 900
Otara Flea Market 250
Christchurch 265
3056 (This total may be short)
All hats off to the team in Tauranga and especially the Hawke's Bay team, they really took advantage of the holiday traffic. Well Done.
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 9:32 PM
To: Craig
Subject: U4L; Door knocking initiative
HELP DO YOUR BIT FOR OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE. We only need a weekly commitment from 40 people, in order to collect over 1,000 signatures each week. Imagine how many signatures we could collect with even more volunteers....
South Auckland Door Knocking Group
Meeting together one night every week to assist in collecting the remaining 50,000 signatures for the Citizens Initiated Referendum (CIR) on smacking.
When: every Monday night over the Jan/Feb period. Meeting at 6pm, door knocking from 6.30pm - 8pm.
Where: around the South Auckland area. Location to be advised weekly.
This coming Monday, 7th January, we're meeting in Grande Vue Reserve, corner of Grande Vue Road and Great South Road, Manurewa
Bring: pens, petition forms, and a clipboard (if you own one). A limited supply of clipboards will be made available each week.
Email: For more information, or to commit to one or more evenings, please contact Gaylene gaylene@unityforliberty.net.nz or 021 076 7211.
Cheers,
Craig
021 746 113
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke 1728-1797)
Hi All,
What a great announcement: 251,280 signatures.
As at the Jan 1st, our equation is 1293 folk x 5 Signatures x 8 Saturdays = 51,720, many numbers makes light work.
There is a new door knocking initiative starting in South Auckland, see next email. We encourage other areas to follow same format, thanks.
We still would like to see more hands on the plow, If you can help please contact your closet coordinator here. If there is no one near you contact myself at craig@unityforliberty.net.nz
Last week's total:
Hawkes Bay 691
Porirua 90
Pukekohe 370
Papakura 490
Tauranga 900
Otara Flea Market 250
Christchurch 265
3056 (This total may be short)
All hats off to the team in Tauranga and especially the Hawke's Bay team, they really took advantage of the holiday traffic. Well Done.
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 9:32 PM
To: Craig
Subject: U4L; Door knocking initiative
HELP DO YOUR BIT FOR OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE. We only need a weekly commitment from 40 people, in order to collect over 1,000 signatures each week. Imagine how many signatures we could collect with even more volunteers....
South Auckland Door Knocking Group
Meeting together one night every week to assist in collecting the remaining 50,000 signatures for the Citizens Initiated Referendum (CIR) on smacking.
When: every Monday night over the Jan/Feb period. Meeting at 6pm, door knocking from 6.30pm - 8pm.
Where: around the South Auckland area. Location to be advised weekly.
This coming Monday, 7th January, we're meeting in Grande Vue Reserve, corner of Grande Vue Road and Great South Road, Manurewa
Bring: pens, petition forms, and a clipboard (if you own one). A limited supply of clipboards will be made available each week.
Email: For more information, or to commit to one or more evenings, please contact Gaylene gaylene@unityforliberty.net.nz or 021 076 7211.
Cheers,
Craig
021 746 113
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke 1728-1797)
Saturday, 5 January 2008
Media - Bradford on the defence again over smacking law
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=130199
Bradford on the defence again over smacking law
5/01/2008 5:56:02
Green MP Sue Bradford believes her anti-smacking legislation will eventually change what she describes as a culture of violence.
Her comments follow the death of a two-month-old who was admitted to hospital with a skull fracture, and bruising to her brain. Police are treating it as a homicide.
Sue Bradford says it is wrong for people to say her law is not working, because no amount of legislation can stop murders.
Bradford on the defence again over smacking law
5/01/2008 5:56:02
Green MP Sue Bradford believes her anti-smacking legislation will eventually change what she describes as a culture of violence.
Her comments follow the death of a two-month-old who was admitted to hospital with a skull fracture, and bruising to her brain. Police are treating it as a homicide.
Sue Bradford says it is wrong for people to say her law is not working, because no amount of legislation can stop murders.
Media - Anti-smacker smacks pro-smacker
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1533876
Anti-smacker smacks pro-smacker
Jan 4, 2008 4:02 PM
An anti-smacking campaigner has clashed with a woman who supports the legislation south of Auckland on Friday.
The teenager was collecting signatures for a petition against the law outside a Pukehohe mall, when she was assaulted by a woman in favour of it.
Her father Craig Hill says she is a bit shaken up by the incident.
Hill says a local mall security guard managed to wrestle the woman off his daughter.
A complaint has been made to police.
Anti-smacker smacks pro-smacker
Jan 4, 2008 4:02 PM
An anti-smacking campaigner has clashed with a woman who supports the legislation south of Auckland on Friday.
The teenager was collecting signatures for a petition against the law outside a Pukehohe mall, when she was assaulted by a woman in favour of it.
Her father Craig Hill says she is a bit shaken up by the incident.
Hill says a local mall security guard managed to wrestle the woman off his daughter.
A complaint has been made to police.
Thursday, 3 January 2008
FI - 355 - CIR Update no 19 - response
3 January - Family Integrity #335 - CIR Update no 19 - response
-----Original Message-----
From: Janie
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 10:33 AM
To: Craig Smith
Subject: Re: Family Integrity #334 - CIR Update no 19
Hooray for this!!!
Excellent media article by Larry!
I myself have some interesting news. Gisborne is also ripe for the picking. I have been up here doing a locum job at the hospital.
Just wandering round the beaches in my downtime I have casually asked people "Have you had the opportunity to sign this petition?" "No, about what?" they normally answer. Then I say "it is opposing the Sue Bradford anti-smacking bill that was passed earlier in the year." (last year now). 9 out of 10 of them have wanted to sign the petition, just as I've been casually wandering around the beach!!
Today at the airport I heard a middle-aged Mum joking with her grown young woman daughter about not being able to smack her without being arrested, so after the plane had left I casually asked these parents if they wanted to sign; and they did; but the woman added "You really should set up a table in town to get signatures".
Unfortunately as I am in Gisborne to work at the hospital and have very little free time, it is not really feasible for me to set up a table in town. But I would plead with anyone who has contacts here in sunny Gizzy to organise a table. The place is heaving in the summer time and nearly everyone who hasn't already signed it wants to. Do you know anyone??
Cheers,
Janie
Then in a later email from Janie:
But the main thing is, we need someone down here to canvass Gisborne. I may try to wander around a bit more this afternoon, but am on call so not that available; and tomorrow return to Dunedin.
Has anyone hit Dunedin by the way??
Cheers
Janie
So here is a challenge from Janie to grab the spare moments we have to go collect signatures. People are just waiting for you to approach them so that they can sign the petitions. we have less than 3 months left now. So print out a few petitions (http://www.FamilyIntegrity.org.nz) grab a few clip boards (or large thin books and bull dog clips) and a few pens and you are all set for an afternoon of collecting signatures.
Blessings
Craig and Barbara
http://www.FamilyIntegrity.org.nz
-----Original Message-----
From: Janie
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 10:33 AM
To: Craig Smith
Subject: Re: Family Integrity #334 - CIR Update no 19
Hooray for this!!!
Excellent media article by Larry!
I myself have some interesting news. Gisborne is also ripe for the picking. I have been up here doing a locum job at the hospital.
Just wandering round the beaches in my downtime I have casually asked people "Have you had the opportunity to sign this petition?" "No, about what?" they normally answer. Then I say "it is opposing the Sue Bradford anti-smacking bill that was passed earlier in the year." (last year now). 9 out of 10 of them have wanted to sign the petition, just as I've been casually wandering around the beach!!
Today at the airport I heard a middle-aged Mum joking with her grown young woman daughter about not being able to smack her without being arrested, so after the plane had left I casually asked these parents if they wanted to sign; and they did; but the woman added "You really should set up a table in town to get signatures".
Unfortunately as I am in Gisborne to work at the hospital and have very little free time, it is not really feasible for me to set up a table in town. But I would plead with anyone who has contacts here in sunny Gizzy to organise a table. The place is heaving in the summer time and nearly everyone who hasn't already signed it wants to. Do you know anyone??
Cheers,
Janie
Then in a later email from Janie:
But the main thing is, we need someone down here to canvass Gisborne. I may try to wander around a bit more this afternoon, but am on call so not that available; and tomorrow return to Dunedin.
Has anyone hit Dunedin by the way??
Cheers
Janie
So here is a challenge from Janie to grab the spare moments we have to go collect signatures. People are just waiting for you to approach them so that they can sign the petitions. we have less than 3 months left now. So print out a few petitions (http://www.FamilyIntegrity.org.nz) grab a few clip boards (or large thin books and bull dog clips) and a few pens and you are all set for an afternoon of collecting signatures.
Blessings
Craig and Barbara
http://www.FamilyIntegrity.org.nz
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Major Milestone passed!
Major Milestone passed!
Larry Baldock
Petition Organiser
Co Leader, Future NZ
Contact Larry Baldock: 021 864 833 or (07) 543 0600
A quarter of a million signatures means that New Zealander’s will finally get to have their say on the smacking debate!!
The Citizens Initiated Referendum petition to ask the question:
“Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in NZ” has now passed the 250,000 mark.
It is now well on its way to the approx 300,000 signatures required by March to force a referendum at next election.
This is a message to Sue Bradford and Helen Clark and all those who thought they could ignore good decent Mum’s and Dad’s in this country who are trying to do their best with the most important job in the world. No Helen, it’s not being Prime Minister, it is raising good kids.
We are going to have a referendum at the next election so that the 84% of New Zealander’s who said they opposed this legislation can vent their frustration at being ignored. Sue Bradford has accused us of lying and scaremongering, claiming that the police report on the first three months since her bill became law shows that nothing has changed.
We refute that. While we can agree that her bill has done nothing to reduce child abuse as we predicted, there has in fact been a change already in police procedure.
The record shows that at least 15 good parents were subjected to the indignity and embarrassment of having the police turn up at their homes with warnings and threats of prosecution if they did not stop breaking the new Bradford law.
The police have never been put in this insidious position before.
They should have been issuing encouragement and congratulations to those parents who love their kids enough to do the hard yards by occasionally using a smack to teach their children respect for authority, and the difference between right and wrong.
We know that those 15 parents are only the first of many who will become the objects of Helen and Sue’s plans to alter our culture and way of life.
When they accuse us of lying and spreading misinformation their fingers should be pointed at themselves. Helen Clark said on a Radio interview prior to the last election that she did not want to ban smacking and then went on to say, “that many don’t want to see stressed and harassed parents called in by the police because they smack a child.”
Well Prime Minister that is exactly what is now happening across this country.
Repeatedly Sue Bradford and supporters said the law had to be changed so that those who hit and beat their children could be prosecuted. Now she openly admits that her bill has failed already. As recently as Dec 21 on National Radio she said “The epidemic of child abuse and child violence in this country continues – sadly. My bill was never intended to solve that problem.”
So what was her bill intended to do? We suspect that the real intention was to undermine the authority of parents in the home.
The referendum is coming which will allow every New Zealander to have their say. If the PM, Sue Bradford and all the MP’s who supported it had any respect for democracy they would have called for the referendum themselves.
Larry Baldock
Petition Organiser
Co Leader, Future NZ
Contact Larry Baldock: 021 864 833 or (07) 543 0600
A quarter of a million signatures means that New Zealander’s will finally get to have their say on the smacking debate!!
The Citizens Initiated Referendum petition to ask the question:
“Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in NZ” has now passed the 250,000 mark.
It is now well on its way to the approx 300,000 signatures required by March to force a referendum at next election.
This is a message to Sue Bradford and Helen Clark and all those who thought they could ignore good decent Mum’s and Dad’s in this country who are trying to do their best with the most important job in the world. No Helen, it’s not being Prime Minister, it is raising good kids.
We are going to have a referendum at the next election so that the 84% of New Zealander’s who said they opposed this legislation can vent their frustration at being ignored. Sue Bradford has accused us of lying and scaremongering, claiming that the police report on the first three months since her bill became law shows that nothing has changed.
We refute that. While we can agree that her bill has done nothing to reduce child abuse as we predicted, there has in fact been a change already in police procedure.
The record shows that at least 15 good parents were subjected to the indignity and embarrassment of having the police turn up at their homes with warnings and threats of prosecution if they did not stop breaking the new Bradford law.
The police have never been put in this insidious position before.
They should have been issuing encouragement and congratulations to those parents who love their kids enough to do the hard yards by occasionally using a smack to teach their children respect for authority, and the difference between right and wrong.
We know that those 15 parents are only the first of many who will become the objects of Helen and Sue’s plans to alter our culture and way of life.
When they accuse us of lying and spreading misinformation their fingers should be pointed at themselves. Helen Clark said on a Radio interview prior to the last election that she did not want to ban smacking and then went on to say, “that many don’t want to see stressed and harassed parents called in by the police because they smack a child.”
Well Prime Minister that is exactly what is now happening across this country.
Repeatedly Sue Bradford and supporters said the law had to be changed so that those who hit and beat their children could be prosecuted. Now she openly admits that her bill has failed already. As recently as Dec 21 on National Radio she said “The epidemic of child abuse and child violence in this country continues – sadly. My bill was never intended to solve that problem.”
So what was her bill intended to do? We suspect that the real intention was to undermine the authority of parents in the home.
The referendum is coming which will allow every New Zealander to have their say. If the PM, Sue Bradford and all the MP’s who supported it had any respect for democracy they would have called for the referendum themselves.
FI - 334 - CIR Update no 19
2 January 2008 - Family Integrity #334 - CIR Update no 19
-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Baldock [mailto:CIR.Petition@xtra.co.nz]
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 9:52 PM
Subject: CIR Update no 19
HAPPY NEW YEAR
I trust you have all enjoyed the Christmas holidays and New Year’s celebrations.
We start the new year of 2008 with great news!
We now have collected over a quarter of a million signatures and that is fantastic! 251,280
I have attached an article I will release to the media tomorrow afternoon, Jan 2nd along with a press release. Perhaps you may have contact with local media in your area and you could forward it to them. At this time of year many journalists are looking for stories.
It might be an idea if you are able to print some copies of it, (or make photo copies) and hand them out when collecting signatures.
The second attachment is a photo to perhaps give you some ideas about setting up a table in holiday spots. Barbara and I collected 150 the first day in 2 hrs, then 250 in 4hrs and then 650 for a whole day from 8.30am to 4.30pm. Total 1050.
We have found in recent weeks we have been able to average about 1000 per week and perhaps one of the keys to this has been the signs we use. A new sign, as you can see in the photo which say’s A SMACK IS NOT CHILD ABUSE, DON’T CRIMINALISE GOOD PARENTS,’ seems to be working really well in sending a clear message to people about what we are supporting and what we are against.
Once people approach the table all we have to say usually is, would you like to sign, the first petition says, “should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in NZ? We don’t think so, and the second petition is to address the real causes of child abuse like family breakdown, lack of parenting education etc, which would make more of a difference than banning smacking, so would sign that one as well please.
And that is normally all that is required.
You may have developed your own procedure and that is working well for you already, I simply offer this as a suggestion that might help some.
I will send another update in a week or so with the dates of events that are coming up in Jan-Mar that we hope to gather a team to go to but for starters here are some.
Steve is looking for volunteers for the Wairoa A & P show Jan 18-19th and we are very keen to get a team to the Martinborough fare in the Wairarapa Feb 2nd and March 1st.
The Dargaville field days Feb 28-March 1st is also a good gathering I am told. Anyone keen to organise that let me know.
I have arranged a site at the Parachute festival Jan 25th -28th so if you are heading there and would be willing to volunteer some time at the table there let me know.
Happy holidays, the weather is great. I hope you will be able to find a little tome at least to join
The Great Summer Challenge!
Warm regards,
Larry
-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Baldock [mailto:CIR.Petition@xtra.co.nz]
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 9:52 PM
Subject: CIR Update no 19
HAPPY NEW YEAR
I trust you have all enjoyed the Christmas holidays and New Year’s celebrations.
We start the new year of 2008 with great news!
We now have collected over a quarter of a million signatures and that is fantastic! 251,280
I have attached an article I will release to the media tomorrow afternoon, Jan 2nd along with a press release. Perhaps you may have contact with local media in your area and you could forward it to them. At this time of year many journalists are looking for stories.
It might be an idea if you are able to print some copies of it, (or make photo copies) and hand them out when collecting signatures.
The second attachment is a photo to perhaps give you some ideas about setting up a table in holiday spots. Barbara and I collected 150 the first day in 2 hrs, then 250 in 4hrs and then 650 for a whole day from 8.30am to 4.30pm. Total 1050.
We have found in recent weeks we have been able to average about 1000 per week and perhaps one of the keys to this has been the signs we use. A new sign, as you can see in the photo which say’s A SMACK IS NOT CHILD ABUSE, DON’T CRIMINALISE GOOD PARENTS,’ seems to be working really well in sending a clear message to people about what we are supporting and what we are against.
Once people approach the table all we have to say usually is, would you like to sign, the first petition says, “should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in NZ? We don’t think so, and the second petition is to address the real causes of child abuse like family breakdown, lack of parenting education etc, which would make more of a difference than banning smacking, so would sign that one as well please.
And that is normally all that is required.
You may have developed your own procedure and that is working well for you already, I simply offer this as a suggestion that might help some.
I will send another update in a week or so with the dates of events that are coming up in Jan-Mar that we hope to gather a team to go to but for starters here are some.
Steve is looking for volunteers for the Wairoa A & P show Jan 18-19th and we are very keen to get a team to the Martinborough fare in the Wairarapa Feb 2nd and March 1st.
The Dargaville field days Feb 28-March 1st is also a good gathering I am told. Anyone keen to organise that let me know.
I have arranged a site at the Parachute festival Jan 25th -28th so if you are heading there and would be willing to volunteer some time at the table there let me know.
Happy holidays, the weather is great. I hope you will be able to find a little tome at least to join
The Great Summer Challenge!
Warm regards,
Larry
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Media - stuff
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4342058a26430.html
Top 10 political themes for 2007
By IAN LLEWELLYN - NZPA | Tuesday, 01 January 2008
2007 was been a busy year for those interested in the world of politics, full of high, lows and the plain absurd.
During the year the NZPA press gallery wrote more than 5600 items. Here is a list of its top 10 biggest political stories or themes of the year.
Three – It's the economy, stupid:
The biggest three political stories in NZPA's unscientific survey were all so close it might as well have been a three-way dead heat. The resilient state of the economy, unemployment staggeringly low, interest rates causing pain, monetary policy seemingly ineffective and the dollar being too high for many, were never far from the front pages. The political problem for Finance Minister Michael Cullen is that it has been so long since an even mild recession, that most people have forgotten the pain it can cause. The economy and the debate over tax cuts will be a dominant feature of the political landscape in 2008, with Dr Cullen trying to shrug off his scrooge label.
Two – Labour takes a smacking:
The sleeper story of 2006 woke up with a vengeance in 2007 when Green MP Sue Bradford's bill removing the defence of reasonable force when assaulting a child re-emerged on the parliamentary agenda. The debate morphed into a many-headed row over child discipline and abuse, as well as the role of the state in family life. Labour forced its MPs to vote en masse for the bill and the point of principle caused much pain for the party. Many National MPs were horrified when their leader, John Key, did a last minute deal with Miss Clark to back the bill if it was watered down. Many in National felt it would have been better to keep kicking when Labour was down but most of those now link the move to National's rise and Labour's fall.
One – Electoral Law:
After brooding about the 2005 election for a year, Labour and its allies thrust the Electoral Finance Bill on the opposition. Labour's attempt to stamp out big-spending election campaigns came back to bite it as, once again, the debate morphed into a freedom of speech issue. It did not help that the bill was terribly written, confusing, contradictory and plain draconian in places. Labour is hoping that once voters realise it does not affect 99 per cent of people, the fuss will die; how many voters want to spend money persuading others how to vote? However Labour's failure to get wider support and undergo a much-needed overhaul of the dated Electoral Act on a bi-partisan basis may come back to haunt it in 2008.
Top 10 political themes for 2007
By IAN LLEWELLYN - NZPA | Tuesday, 01 January 2008
2007 was been a busy year for those interested in the world of politics, full of high, lows and the plain absurd.
During the year the NZPA press gallery wrote more than 5600 items. Here is a list of its top 10 biggest political stories or themes of the year.
Three – It's the economy, stupid:
The biggest three political stories in NZPA's unscientific survey were all so close it might as well have been a three-way dead heat. The resilient state of the economy, unemployment staggeringly low, interest rates causing pain, monetary policy seemingly ineffective and the dollar being too high for many, were never far from the front pages. The political problem for Finance Minister Michael Cullen is that it has been so long since an even mild recession, that most people have forgotten the pain it can cause. The economy and the debate over tax cuts will be a dominant feature of the political landscape in 2008, with Dr Cullen trying to shrug off his scrooge label.
Two – Labour takes a smacking:
The sleeper story of 2006 woke up with a vengeance in 2007 when Green MP Sue Bradford's bill removing the defence of reasonable force when assaulting a child re-emerged on the parliamentary agenda. The debate morphed into a many-headed row over child discipline and abuse, as well as the role of the state in family life. Labour forced its MPs to vote en masse for the bill and the point of principle caused much pain for the party. Many National MPs were horrified when their leader, John Key, did a last minute deal with Miss Clark to back the bill if it was watered down. Many in National felt it would have been better to keep kicking when Labour was down but most of those now link the move to National's rise and Labour's fall.
One – Electoral Law:
After brooding about the 2005 election for a year, Labour and its allies thrust the Electoral Finance Bill on the opposition. Labour's attempt to stamp out big-spending election campaigns came back to bite it as, once again, the debate morphed into a freedom of speech issue. It did not help that the bill was terribly written, confusing, contradictory and plain draconian in places. Labour is hoping that once voters realise it does not affect 99 per cent of people, the fuss will die; how many voters want to spend money persuading others how to vote? However Labour's failure to get wider support and undergo a much-needed overhaul of the dated Electoral Act on a bi-partisan basis may come back to haunt it in 2008.
Monday, 31 December 2007
Media - Family First
MEDIA RELEASE
30 December 2007
No.1 Issue for 2008 - Government Respect For Role of Parents
Family First NZ has identified government respect for parents as the number 1 issue for 2008.
“Politicians, with the support of UN Conventions, the Children’s Commissioner and Youth Law Project to name a few, have sought to increase children’s rights without considering the vital role of parents,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Parents understandably feel undervalued, under-resourced and under suspicion.”
Recent examples include:
* a teenager who attempted to use the Care of Children Act to ‘divorce’ her parent because she didn’t like the family rules
* the Privacy Act being quoted by the Police as justification for hiding the whereabouts of a 16 year old runaway daughter from her concerned parents
* CYF and Police failing to prosecute a 21 year old who admitted having sex with a girl under the age of 12
* the anti-smacking law which sent a clear message to parents that the State and its agencies know better how to raise children even if parents are reasonably and responsibly correcting their children. (Ironically Sue Bradford stated in an interview last week that the law was never intended to solve the problem of child abuse and violence)
* continued lack of an independent CYF Complaints Authority despite repeated calls for one and an increasing number of families being adversely impacted by the actions and decisions of social workers (acknowledged by a recently released book by senior social workers) without an avenue of appeal for the parents
* children as young as five have been told off for bringing yoghurt, muesli bars, salad rolls and juice to school as over-zealous teachers try to enforce healthy eating rules - despite parents pleading to be allowed to give their children the occasional treat
* parents concerned about the graphic nature of information regarding the meningococcal B campaign provided to children at school, mostly without consent (study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal)
* a suggestion by National’s education spokeswoman Katherine Rich that the government should penalise parents who take their children out of school for a family holiday, yet failing to identify or target dysfunctional families where ongoing truancy is condoned or ignored by the parents
* proposal by the Children’s Commissioner to screen every child’s home, threatening to refer good parents who resist this intrusion, to social welfare agencies, while failing to target the real abusers and provide the necessary services for young and new parents
* young girls (some well under the age of sexual consent) being sneaked off by schools to get contraceptives or an abortion without any parental knowledge or consent yet these same kids have to get parental permission to go on a school trip to the zoo
Mr McCoskrie says “On one hand, a parent is responsible for the actions of their child in the community and school, and meeting their emotional, financial and physical needs, yet at the same time their role is being undermined, and weakened by laws and policies which bypass the input of parents and treat them like a sub-contractor.”
“The huge irony is that the more the state undermines the role and authority of parents, the less responsibility parents will feel they should take for their children,” says Mr McCoskrie.
“If the government wants parents to be responsible parents, they must firstly respect their role.”
Family First will continue to monitor policies from all the political parties in Election 2008 and test whether they support and strengthen the role of parents, or create a ‘rights’ culture which pits children (and the State) against their parents.
ENDS
For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:
Bob McCoskrie JP - National Director
Mob. 027 55 555 42
30 December 2007
No.1 Issue for 2008 - Government Respect For Role of Parents
Family First NZ has identified government respect for parents as the number 1 issue for 2008.
“Politicians, with the support of UN Conventions, the Children’s Commissioner and Youth Law Project to name a few, have sought to increase children’s rights without considering the vital role of parents,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Parents understandably feel undervalued, under-resourced and under suspicion.”
Recent examples include:
* a teenager who attempted to use the Care of Children Act to ‘divorce’ her parent because she didn’t like the family rules
* the Privacy Act being quoted by the Police as justification for hiding the whereabouts of a 16 year old runaway daughter from her concerned parents
* CYF and Police failing to prosecute a 21 year old who admitted having sex with a girl under the age of 12
* the anti-smacking law which sent a clear message to parents that the State and its agencies know better how to raise children even if parents are reasonably and responsibly correcting their children. (Ironically Sue Bradford stated in an interview last week that the law was never intended to solve the problem of child abuse and violence)
* continued lack of an independent CYF Complaints Authority despite repeated calls for one and an increasing number of families being adversely impacted by the actions and decisions of social workers (acknowledged by a recently released book by senior social workers) without an avenue of appeal for the parents
* children as young as five have been told off for bringing yoghurt, muesli bars, salad rolls and juice to school as over-zealous teachers try to enforce healthy eating rules - despite parents pleading to be allowed to give their children the occasional treat
* parents concerned about the graphic nature of information regarding the meningococcal B campaign provided to children at school, mostly without consent (study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal)
* a suggestion by National’s education spokeswoman Katherine Rich that the government should penalise parents who take their children out of school for a family holiday, yet failing to identify or target dysfunctional families where ongoing truancy is condoned or ignored by the parents
* proposal by the Children’s Commissioner to screen every child’s home, threatening to refer good parents who resist this intrusion, to social welfare agencies, while failing to target the real abusers and provide the necessary services for young and new parents
* young girls (some well under the age of sexual consent) being sneaked off by schools to get contraceptives or an abortion without any parental knowledge or consent yet these same kids have to get parental permission to go on a school trip to the zoo
Mr McCoskrie says “On one hand, a parent is responsible for the actions of their child in the community and school, and meeting their emotional, financial and physical needs, yet at the same time their role is being undermined, and weakened by laws and policies which bypass the input of parents and treat them like a sub-contractor.”
“The huge irony is that the more the state undermines the role and authority of parents, the less responsibility parents will feel they should take for their children,” says Mr McCoskrie.
“If the government wants parents to be responsible parents, they must firstly respect their role.”
Family First will continue to monitor policies from all the political parties in Election 2008 and test whether they support and strengthen the role of parents, or create a ‘rights’ culture which pits children (and the State) against their parents.
ENDS
For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:
Bob McCoskrie JP - National Director
Mob. 027 55 555 42
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Some child abuse cases in NZ - since Section 59 amended
Since the passing of the amendment to section 59, there has been a continual stream of child abuse cases including:
JUNE 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* Porirua mum and step-father charged with mistreating 3 children, including 5 year old admitted to Wellington Hospital with serious head injuries
* 16 month old Remuera boy dies after beating while in care of relative. Sixteen-month-old Sachin died of head injuries suffered while being cared for by a relative in June. He spent three days connected to a life- support machine in Auckland's Starship children's hospital, before dying on June 21. An autopsy revealed he died from blunt force trauma to his head. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4204745a12855.html and http://www.stuff.co.nz/4221779a10.html
* 28-year-old woman charged with murdering a newborn baby found dead in the backyard of a Te Mome Road property in Alicetown.
* Death of 22 month old Tokoroa girl from severe burns – being cared for by step-father. Claims was burnt in hot shower but 17 hour delay before arriving at hospital. Still under investigation.
*An 18-month-old West Auckland toddler is in hospital with serious arm and leg injuries suffered on separate occasions and up to a month before medical treatment was sought. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10456014
*Dad allegedly made girls fight for right not to be beaten. A Hastings father gave his daughters boxing gloves and told them to fight – with the loser to get "a hiding", a court was told. The sisters, aged 11 and 13, donned the red gloves and began punching each other in the lounge till the oldest started crying. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4199250a10.html
JULY 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* Hawkes Bay father shoots daughter with air rifle. Convicted and jailed for 6 months
* Christchurch mum-of-two found at P Lab. Charged with failing to provide necessaries of life and allowing home to be used for manufacturing P
* 3-year-old Rotorua girl seriously ill after 3 weeks of abuse by stepfather and extended family - now died
* A second Rotorua child - a 12-week-old baby - is in the Starship with suspicious head injuries. http://familyintegrity.blogspot.com/2007/07/30-july-2007-second-rotorua-child.html
*Boy, 8, kicked for being 'too slow' eating dinner http://www.stuff.co.nz/4189938a10.html
*Five-year-old high on P in drug house. Police found a five-year-old boy high on P during a raid on a drug house where methamphetamine was being cooked in a bedroom.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4195797a10.html
AUGUST 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* Police will tomorrow arrest a Putaruru man for allegedly using weapons to beat his two stepsons aged 13 and 14, regularly over nine months, leaving them with bruises all over their upper body. http://familyintegrity.blogspot.com/2007/08/media_13.html
* A five-week-old girl with multiple breaks to both arms is the latest suspected child-abuse case being investigated by Christchurch police. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4168701a11.html#Scene_1
*A woman accused of failing to provide the necessaries of life to her 6-week-old baby has pleaded with a court to get the child back.... She has been charged with neglecting her legal duty to provide necessaries for her 6-week-old son in a way that endangered his life....Police said they had been told Kahotea-Jones took the baby to the park on an extremely cold winter's day dressed only in light clothing. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4193313a11.html
*Throwing pepper in a six-year-old boy's eyes as a punishment was an unthinking act, done under extreme stress, Lower Hutt District Court was today. Craig Leslie Ozich, 31, was sentenced by Judge John Walker to 150 hours' community service after pleading guilty to assault on a child...Judge Walker said Ozich had been boarding at a house where the boy and his mother lived. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4213154a12855.html
SEPTEMBER 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* Yet Another Child Abuse Story. Catherine Lawson from Jigsaw, National Consultant, National Infrastructure for Children and Youth (NICY) who Witness Family Violence, speaks out following the recent case where a small three year old girl, nicknamed “Pumpkin”, who has been identified as a 3 year old child who has been living in a family violence environment. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0709/S00292.htm
* Police investigating baby death - Jyniah Te Awa. South Auckland police are investigating two houses following the death of a 10-month-old baby girl. The girl was taken to hospital from a Manurewa address on Sunday. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4214398a10.html and http://www.stuff.co.nz/4215743a10.html and http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10466030
OCTOBER 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* VICTIM OF CURSE RITUAL: Janet Moses, 22, of Wainuiomata, was the mother of two little girls. She is thought to have drowned during an exorcism ceremony. A 14-year-old girl nearly died in the ritual that killed Wainuiomata mother Janet Moses. A total of six people were exorcised last month as relatives tried to drive out a makutu, or Maori curse, thought to have been sparked by the theft of a statue. The 14-year-old - a cousin of Ms Moses - was admitted to hospital before being taken into Child, Youth and Family care. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4271124a10.html Girl's eyes gouged to get rid of devil. A 14-year-old who nearly died during an exorcism needed emergency treatment to save her sight after relatives scratched at her eyes to remove the devil. The girl is a cousin of Janet Moses, the woman who died during the October 12 ceremony to lift a Maori curse. The girl had chunks gouged from her eyeballs. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4287818a11.html
November 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* A mother who left her two- and four-year-old children to wander the streets unsupervised and hungry has been sentenced to community work. They also reported the children wandering outside, unsupervised and hungry, and not being able to find anything in the house but beer. Sometimes the children had injuries, including a burn to the cheek and black eyes. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4261575a10.html
* Pregnant at 11: Kiro cites girl's case in abuse plea - 19 November 2007
The case of a girl who became pregnant at 11 and had her baby when she was 12 was cited by Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro today when she made a plea for people to speak up against child abuse. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4280826a10.html
December 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
*Baby clings to life as police investigate injuries A two-month-old girl is clinging to life in Auckland's Starship Hospital as police investigate how she came to receive critical head injuries. Her two-year-old sister was taken into CYF care after her parents drove the baby to Middlemore Hospital on Friday afternoon. The baby was transferred to Starship the same day, with fears she would not survive. Detective Senior Sergeant David Lynch said it was unclear how the baby received her injuries. "We're keeping an open mind at the moment." http://www.stuff.co.nz/4340462a11.html
and http://stuff.co.nz/4340732a11.html and
http://stuff.co.nz/4341634a10.html and http://www.stuff.co.nz/4346092a10.html
and http://www.stuff.co.nz/4362248a10.html
JUNE 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* Porirua mum and step-father charged with mistreating 3 children, including 5 year old admitted to Wellington Hospital with serious head injuries
* 16 month old Remuera boy dies after beating while in care of relative. Sixteen-month-old Sachin died of head injuries suffered while being cared for by a relative in June. He spent three days connected to a life- support machine in Auckland's Starship children's hospital, before dying on June 21. An autopsy revealed he died from blunt force trauma to his head. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4204745a12855.html and http://www.stuff.co.nz/4221779a10.html
* 28-year-old woman charged with murdering a newborn baby found dead in the backyard of a Te Mome Road property in Alicetown.
* Death of 22 month old Tokoroa girl from severe burns – being cared for by step-father. Claims was burnt in hot shower but 17 hour delay before arriving at hospital. Still under investigation.
*An 18-month-old West Auckland toddler is in hospital with serious arm and leg injuries suffered on separate occasions and up to a month before medical treatment was sought. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10456014
*Dad allegedly made girls fight for right not to be beaten. A Hastings father gave his daughters boxing gloves and told them to fight – with the loser to get "a hiding", a court was told. The sisters, aged 11 and 13, donned the red gloves and began punching each other in the lounge till the oldest started crying. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4199250a10.html
JULY 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* Hawkes Bay father shoots daughter with air rifle. Convicted and jailed for 6 months
* Christchurch mum-of-two found at P Lab. Charged with failing to provide necessaries of life and allowing home to be used for manufacturing P
* 3-year-old Rotorua girl seriously ill after 3 weeks of abuse by stepfather and extended family - now died
* A second Rotorua child - a 12-week-old baby - is in the Starship with suspicious head injuries. http://familyintegrity.blogspot.com/2007/07/30-july-2007-second-rotorua-child.html
*Boy, 8, kicked for being 'too slow' eating dinner http://www.stuff.co.nz/4189938a10.html
*Five-year-old high on P in drug house. Police found a five-year-old boy high on P during a raid on a drug house where methamphetamine was being cooked in a bedroom.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4195797a10.html
AUGUST 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* Police will tomorrow arrest a Putaruru man for allegedly using weapons to beat his two stepsons aged 13 and 14, regularly over nine months, leaving them with bruises all over their upper body. http://familyintegrity.blogspot.com/2007/08/media_13.html
* A five-week-old girl with multiple breaks to both arms is the latest suspected child-abuse case being investigated by Christchurch police. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4168701a11.html#Scene_1
*A woman accused of failing to provide the necessaries of life to her 6-week-old baby has pleaded with a court to get the child back.... She has been charged with neglecting her legal duty to provide necessaries for her 6-week-old son in a way that endangered his life....Police said they had been told Kahotea-Jones took the baby to the park on an extremely cold winter's day dressed only in light clothing. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4193313a11.html
*Throwing pepper in a six-year-old boy's eyes as a punishment was an unthinking act, done under extreme stress, Lower Hutt District Court was today. Craig Leslie Ozich, 31, was sentenced by Judge John Walker to 150 hours' community service after pleading guilty to assault on a child...Judge Walker said Ozich had been boarding at a house where the boy and his mother lived. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4213154a12855.html
SEPTEMBER 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* Yet Another Child Abuse Story. Catherine Lawson from Jigsaw, National Consultant, National Infrastructure for Children and Youth (NICY) who Witness Family Violence, speaks out following the recent case where a small three year old girl, nicknamed “Pumpkin”, who has been identified as a 3 year old child who has been living in a family violence environment. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0709/S00292.htm
* Police investigating baby death - Jyniah Te Awa. South Auckland police are investigating two houses following the death of a 10-month-old baby girl. The girl was taken to hospital from a Manurewa address on Sunday. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4214398a10.html and http://www.stuff.co.nz/4215743a10.html and http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10466030
OCTOBER 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* VICTIM OF CURSE RITUAL: Janet Moses, 22, of Wainuiomata, was the mother of two little girls. She is thought to have drowned during an exorcism ceremony. A 14-year-old girl nearly died in the ritual that killed Wainuiomata mother Janet Moses. A total of six people were exorcised last month as relatives tried to drive out a makutu, or Maori curse, thought to have been sparked by the theft of a statue. The 14-year-old - a cousin of Ms Moses - was admitted to hospital before being taken into Child, Youth and Family care. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4271124a10.html Girl's eyes gouged to get rid of devil. A 14-year-old who nearly died during an exorcism needed emergency treatment to save her sight after relatives scratched at her eyes to remove the devil. The girl is a cousin of Janet Moses, the woman who died during the October 12 ceremony to lift a Maori curse. The girl had chunks gouged from her eyeballs. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4287818a11.html
November 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
* A mother who left her two- and four-year-old children to wander the streets unsupervised and hungry has been sentenced to community work. They also reported the children wandering outside, unsupervised and hungry, and not being able to find anything in the house but beer. Sometimes the children had injuries, including a burn to the cheek and black eyes. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4261575a10.html
* Pregnant at 11: Kiro cites girl's case in abuse plea - 19 November 2007
The case of a girl who became pregnant at 11 and had her baby when she was 12 was cited by Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro today when she made a plea for people to speak up against child abuse. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4280826a10.html
December 2007
* About 1,500 babies in their mother's womb
*Baby clings to life as police investigate injuries A two-month-old girl is clinging to life in Auckland's Starship Hospital as police investigate how she came to receive critical head injuries. Her two-year-old sister was taken into CYF care after her parents drove the baby to Middlemore Hospital on Friday afternoon. The baby was transferred to Starship the same day, with fears she would not survive. Detective Senior Sergeant David Lynch said it was unclear how the baby received her injuries. "We're keeping an open mind at the moment." http://www.stuff.co.nz/4340462a11.html
and http://stuff.co.nz/4340732a11.html and
http://stuff.co.nz/4341634a10.html and http://www.stuff.co.nz/4346092a10.html
and http://www.stuff.co.nz/4362248a10.html
Saturday, 29 December 2007
Media - tvnz
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1318360/1523352
Smacking law political issue of 2007
Dec 27, 2007 7:56 AM
The smacking debate was politically the biggest issue of the year, with politicians pitted against parents who say they are sick of being told by the government how to run their lives.
The anti-smacking legislation was introduced by Greens MP Sue Bradford and she says what followed was a lesson in just how brutal politics can be.
For months, New Zealand screens were bombarded with news of the Anti-Smacking Bill, with some supporting the bill and seeing it as a means to help stop the rampant child abuse in New Zealand and many others seeing it as a means of the government controlling how parents bring up their children.
Those who were against the bill were more louder and showed their discontent by protesting up and down the country, but the protests were in vain as by May, MP Sue Bradford's anti-smacking law became a reality in parliament by 113 votes to seven.
It was a hard won fight for the Green MP and for Labour, which removed the defence of reasonable force for parents who hit their kids.
National opposed the bill but agreed to a compromise, leading to one of the strangest moments at parliament with Helen Clark sharing the podium with her number one political rival John Key.
There were a lot of whacky moments during the Anti-Smacking Bill becoming law.
Death threats were issued to Bradford and there was also a smack free town, with Ngongotaha claiming to be the first in the country.
MP Gordon Copeland quit his party because it supported the bill, but then forgot to go to parliament for the final vote and was slammed for not understanding the bill after he claimed that the average parent in New Zealand would be subject to criminal charges for even a light smack.
But nothing of the sort has happened - not yet at least.
In fact Bradford says there have been just two prosecutions since the bill was passed and one other case where police investigated but went no further.
"The law appears to be working perfectly and in line with what we intended... there were gross exaggerations and ridiculous lies about what would happen as a consequence of my bill going through. Those fears, those lies have not come to fruition," says Bradford.
But her opponents disagree.
"I think the politicians were suckered into an ideology that it felt good. It seemed like the solution to our child abuse problems but our experience is that it's had no effect on child abuse rates and we've had five child abuse deaths since the passing of the bill... In fact while the bill was being passed Nia Glassie was being hung on a washing line," says Bob McCroskie from Family First NZ.
The debate continues to goes on and many are saying it could heat up once again as a petition is already doing the rounds, which could mean the issue comes up in a referendum when voters go to the polls next year.
Smacking law political issue of 2007
Dec 27, 2007 7:56 AM
The smacking debate was politically the biggest issue of the year, with politicians pitted against parents who say they are sick of being told by the government how to run their lives.
The anti-smacking legislation was introduced by Greens MP Sue Bradford and she says what followed was a lesson in just how brutal politics can be.
For months, New Zealand screens were bombarded with news of the Anti-Smacking Bill, with some supporting the bill and seeing it as a means to help stop the rampant child abuse in New Zealand and many others seeing it as a means of the government controlling how parents bring up their children.
Those who were against the bill were more louder and showed their discontent by protesting up and down the country, but the protests were in vain as by May, MP Sue Bradford's anti-smacking law became a reality in parliament by 113 votes to seven.
It was a hard won fight for the Green MP and for Labour, which removed the defence of reasonable force for parents who hit their kids.
National opposed the bill but agreed to a compromise, leading to one of the strangest moments at parliament with Helen Clark sharing the podium with her number one political rival John Key.
There were a lot of whacky moments during the Anti-Smacking Bill becoming law.
Death threats were issued to Bradford and there was also a smack free town, with Ngongotaha claiming to be the first in the country.
MP Gordon Copeland quit his party because it supported the bill, but then forgot to go to parliament for the final vote and was slammed for not understanding the bill after he claimed that the average parent in New Zealand would be subject to criminal charges for even a light smack.
But nothing of the sort has happened - not yet at least.
In fact Bradford says there have been just two prosecutions since the bill was passed and one other case where police investigated but went no further.
"The law appears to be working perfectly and in line with what we intended... there were gross exaggerations and ridiculous lies about what would happen as a consequence of my bill going through. Those fears, those lies have not come to fruition," says Bradford.
But her opponents disagree.
"I think the politicians were suckered into an ideology that it felt good. It seemed like the solution to our child abuse problems but our experience is that it's had no effect on child abuse rates and we've had five child abuse deaths since the passing of the bill... In fact while the bill was being passed Nia Glassie was being hung on a washing line," says Bob McCroskie from Family First NZ.
The debate continues to goes on and many are saying it could heat up once again as a petition is already doing the rounds, which could mean the issue comes up in a referendum when voters go to the polls next year.
Friday, 28 December 2007
FI - 333 - Petitions in Christchurch on Saturday
28 December 2007 - Family Integrity #333 - Petitions in Christchurch on Saturday
Here is tomorrow's Summer Challenge for those in the Christchurch area.
Craig Smith
National Director
Family Integrity
Ph: (06) 357-4399
Fax: (06) 357-4389
Family.Integrity@xtra.co.nz
http://www.FamilyIntegrity.org.nz
http://familyintegrity.blogspot.com/
Our Home....Our Castle
-----Original Message-----
From: Andy Moore [mailto:andy@equipbiz.co.nz]
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 11:08 AM
Subject: Petitions in Christchurch on Saturday
Hi everyone,
I'm hoping we can run more than one table in Christchurch tomorrow.
Help us make the 250,000 mark before the end of the year... we're almost there! http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz/
Up in Auckland and Tauranga they are doing a fantastic job, with someone out manning a table almost every day of the week.
Please get in touch with me asap if you can help out at a table in Christchurch tomorrow.
"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." - Paul (Galations 6:9)
Regards,
Andy Moore
http://www.equipbiz.co.nz
phone: 021 1140 751
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
God Defend New Zealand
Here is tomorrow's Summer Challenge for those in the Christchurch area.
Craig Smith
National Director
Family Integrity
Ph: (06) 357-4399
Fax: (06) 357-4389
Family.Integrity@xtra.co.nz
http://www.FamilyIntegrity.org.nz
http://familyintegrity.blogspot.com/
Our Home....Our Castle
-----Original Message-----
From: Andy Moore [mailto:andy@equipbiz.co.nz]
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 11:08 AM
Subject: Petitions in Christchurch on Saturday
Hi everyone,
I'm hoping we can run more than one table in Christchurch tomorrow.
Help us make the 250,000 mark before the end of the year... we're almost there! http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz/
Up in Auckland and Tauranga they are doing a fantastic job, with someone out manning a table almost every day of the week.
Please get in touch with me asap if you can help out at a table in Christchurch tomorrow.
"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." - Paul (Galations 6:9)
Regards,
Andy Moore
http://www.equipbiz.co.nz
phone: 021 1140 751
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
God Defend New Zealand
FI - 322 - U4L, summer challenge
28 December 2007 - Family Integrity #332 -
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 8:26 AM
Subject: U4L, summer challenge
Hi all,
Let the Summer Challenge Begin Click here for more information http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz/summer-challenge.html
Just received this photo from Larry Baldock, he isn't wasting any time. Apparently, he even managed a swim. 150 signatures in two hours, not bad going.
Cheers,
Craig Hill
021 746 113
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing" (Edmund Burke 1729 - 1797)
Join with others and take up this Summer Challenge.
Regards
Craig Smith
National Director
Family Integrity
PO Box 9064
Palmerston North
New Zealand
Ph: (06) 357-4399
Fax: (06) 357-4389
Family.Integrity@xtra.co.nz
http://www.FamilyIntegrity.org.nz
http://familyintegrity.blogspot.com/
Our Home....Our Castle
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 8:26 AM
Subject: U4L, summer challenge
Hi all,
Let the Summer Challenge Begin Click here for more information http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz/summer-challenge.html
Just received this photo from Larry Baldock, he isn't wasting any time. Apparently, he even managed a swim. 150 signatures in two hours, not bad going.
Cheers,
Craig Hill
021 746 113
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing" (Edmund Burke 1729 - 1797)
Join with others and take up this Summer Challenge.
Regards
Craig Smith
National Director
Family Integrity
PO Box 9064
Palmerston North
New Zealand
Ph: (06) 357-4399
Fax: (06) 357-4389
Family.Integrity@xtra.co.nz
http://www.FamilyIntegrity.org.nz
http://familyintegrity.blogspot.com/
Our Home....Our Castle
Monday, 24 December 2007
FI - 331- U4L, Happy Christmas
24 December - Family Integrity #331 -- U4L, Happy Christmas
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Monday, December 24, 2007 5:12 PM
Subject: U4L, Happy Christmas
Hi All,
GOOD NEWS FIRST
Happy Christmas to everyone. I would like to take this moment to thank all who have placed their hand to the plow.
Unity for Liberty extended the invitation to join Novembers "Great New Zealand Table Challenge" . We always knew "The Challenge" would start a little slowly but were confident that as more folk came on board and had a taste, the momentum would grow. This has happened.
Larry Baldock informs us that at the beginning of November there were 212,000 signatures in the bank, our current account is now officially 245,291 signatures. And this does not include last weeks take, see below.
There is no reason that can't achieve 250,000 signatures before New Years Day, What a milestone.
Through the hard work of many dedicated volunteers our equation will have gone from 2500 people x 10 signatures per Saturday of November = 100,000 signatures
Now it will be approx:
1325 people nationwide x 5 signatures per Saturday of January and February = 53,000 signatures.
THIS WILL BE OUR SUMMER CHALLENGE
The response from those who have already collected will be: "Hey, that's just a mornings work for the whole quota".(1hr-2hrs tops)
Here is an example: "Today 3 teens got nearly 200 sigs in the streets of Rangiora. No table, just walking around with clipboards politely asking people. You don't need to ask anyone's permission for a table spot, and by asking people I think we get a better response rate. I wish we'd got started earlier.
Is it something you could get a youth group involved in?? Promise ice creams afterwards???
Shows you how simple it is!!!
Week update:
Porirua 150
Wellington 97
North Shore 519
Tauranga 100
Henderson 88
Papakura 250
Pukekohe 240
Rangiora 200
Catlins 70
1714 Total (not included in official count)
THE BAD NEWS
Please do not be fooled by the recent Police review and the media. It has been reported that the court has not been inundated with cases so the law is working. This is not the full story.
Firstly, they claim there has only been 15 investigations, but we are almost averaging one story a week from one table. The report also goes on to say that "an absence of a notification on a Police file does not necessarily mean that no notification was made."
I was speaking to a prominent Party leader's secretary, she made this comment "The police are required to investigate all reports", this is a classic case of "If we ask the wrong questions we will arrive at the wrong answer". Read on
There is a very disturbing trend that is developing in this country, this law, rather than being tested in the courts of the land, appears that it is being enforced by fear and intimidation from our Police Force. Recently a Grandmother was threatened with arrest just for restraining a 2 yr old from running on the road. The Officer made it very clear "I will let you off this time but next time I will arrest you". But there's more, this will test the above Police review figures. When the officer moved on, another woman (unsure if she was a mum or gran) come up and said, "They aren't kidding, they escorted me to the Police Station and interviewed me for the same thing last week."
We have since been made aware of more similar stories, they have been forwarded to Bob McCoskrie at Family First, please forward all stories to Bob, for him protection of the victim is more important than the story, he is a trusted person.
The secretary above, like the rest of us, assumed the police will only be investigating reported cases, who would have thought they themselves would become proactive and start intimidating grandmothers, and this was INCONSEQUENTIAL.
A solo mum, also a New Zealand citizen, who has not broken any law, the police chose to investigate her history through social services and then chose to challenge her parenting skills. She then went to complain to her local MP about her treatment, only to receive a phone call from the Police District Commander, "don't bother wasting the MP's time".
We pay out taxes to be protected by our police, now innocent New Zealanders are being attacked.
Unity for Liberty will be presenting our own review assessed from the trail of devastation that is being left behind from this Bad Law.
Let's collect these signatures and keep the politicians honest,
Craig Hill
021746113
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing" (Edmund Burke 1729-1797)
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Hill [mailto:craighill@maxnet.co.nz]
Sent: Monday, December 24, 2007 5:12 PM
Subject: U4L, Happy Christmas
Hi All,
GOOD NEWS FIRST
Happy Christmas to everyone. I would like to take this moment to thank all who have placed their hand to the plow.
Unity for Liberty extended the invitation to join Novembers "Great New Zealand Table Challenge" . We always knew "The Challenge" would start a little slowly but were confident that as more folk came on board and had a taste, the momentum would grow. This has happened.
Larry Baldock informs us that at the beginning of November there were 212,000 signatures in the bank, our current account is now officially 245,291 signatures. And this does not include last weeks take, see below.
There is no reason that can't achieve 250,000 signatures before New Years Day, What a milestone.
Through the hard work of many dedicated volunteers our equation will have gone from 2500 people x 10 signatures per Saturday of November = 100,000 signatures
Now it will be approx:
1325 people nationwide x 5 signatures per Saturday of January and February = 53,000 signatures.
THIS WILL BE OUR SUMMER CHALLENGE
The response from those who have already collected will be: "Hey, that's just a mornings work for the whole quota".(1hr-2hrs tops)
Here is an example: "Today 3 teens got nearly 200 sigs in the streets of Rangiora. No table, just walking around with clipboards politely asking people. You don't need to ask anyone's permission for a table spot, and by asking people I think we get a better response rate. I wish we'd got started earlier.
Is it something you could get a youth group involved in?? Promise ice creams afterwards???
Shows you how simple it is!!!
Week update:
Porirua 150
Wellington 97
North Shore 519
Tauranga 100
Henderson 88
Papakura 250
Pukekohe 240
Rangiora 200
Catlins 70
1714 Total (not included in official count)
THE BAD NEWS
Please do not be fooled by the recent Police review and the media. It has been reported that the court has not been inundated with cases so the law is working. This is not the full story.
Firstly, they claim there has only been 15 investigations, but we are almost averaging one story a week from one table. The report also goes on to say that "an absence of a notification on a Police file does not necessarily mean that no notification was made."
I was speaking to a prominent Party leader's secretary, she made this comment "The police are required to investigate all reports", this is a classic case of "If we ask the wrong questions we will arrive at the wrong answer". Read on
There is a very disturbing trend that is developing in this country, this law, rather than being tested in the courts of the land, appears that it is being enforced by fear and intimidation from our Police Force. Recently a Grandmother was threatened with arrest just for restraining a 2 yr old from running on the road. The Officer made it very clear "I will let you off this time but next time I will arrest you". But there's more, this will test the above Police review figures. When the officer moved on, another woman (unsure if she was a mum or gran) come up and said, "They aren't kidding, they escorted me to the Police Station and interviewed me for the same thing last week."
We have since been made aware of more similar stories, they have been forwarded to Bob McCoskrie at Family First, please forward all stories to Bob, for him protection of the victim is more important than the story, he is a trusted person.
The secretary above, like the rest of us, assumed the police will only be investigating reported cases, who would have thought they themselves would become proactive and start intimidating grandmothers, and this was INCONSEQUENTIAL.
A solo mum, also a New Zealand citizen, who has not broken any law, the police chose to investigate her history through social services and then chose to challenge her parenting skills. She then went to complain to her local MP about her treatment, only to receive a phone call from the Police District Commander, "don't bother wasting the MP's time".
We pay out taxes to be protected by our police, now innocent New Zealanders are being attacked.
Unity for Liberty will be presenting our own review assessed from the trail of devastation that is being left behind from this Bad Law.
Let's collect these signatures and keep the politicians honest,
Craig Hill
021746113
http://www.unityforliberty.net.nz
"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing" (Edmund Burke 1729-1797)
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