MENZ ISSUES

MENZ Issues: news and discussion about New Zealand men, fathers, family law, divorce, courts, protests, gender politics, and male health.

Archive of 2004

Fathers 4 Justice storm Family Law conference

Tue 2nd November 2004:

UK and Dutch members of Fathers 4 Justice overpowered police and stormed a conference on family law last Friday, forcing the evacuation of the building. The fathers’ rights group was hoping to get the chance to remonstrate with the UK children and families minister, Lord Filkin, outside the conference venue, which is next to the […]

Family Court Scheme Could Be Success

Sun 31st October 2004:

The Union of Fathers believes a new Family Court pilot scheme will be a huge success, if it is well resourced. A non judge-led mediation service is being trialled to resolve custody and access issues on Auckland’s North Shore. Union of Fathers spokesman Jim Bagnall says it is critical highly skilled mediators are used, so […]

Pilot scheme should be more successful

Sat 30th October 2004:

There are hopes a pilot scheme for resolving child custody issues will be more successful than the current system. Early next year families on Auckland’s North Shore will be given the option of accepting mediation not led by a judge. Courts Minister Rick Barker says currently families referred to mediation can wait weeks or even […]

Anger over wife-beater home-detention ruling

Concerns for the safety of a woman and her children were raised last night after a Christchurch judge allowed a convicted wife-beater to apply for home detention. Brian Gardner, the national manager of the National Network of Stopping Violence Services, said the man should never have been allowed to apply for home detention. “If he […]

Woman cries rape for revenge on abuse

Fri 29th October 2004:

A Rotorua woman lied to police about being raped and kidnapped by her partner to get revenge on him for seriously assaulting her, the Rotorua District Court was told. The 55-year-old, who has interim name suppression, pleaded guilty to a charge of fabricating evidence and will be sentenced in December. The woman alleged her partner […]

Wipe my tax debts or I’ll shoot

A Westport man who threatened to shoot people unless his tax debt was wiped was jailed for two years when he appeared in the Westport District Court. Wayne William Anderson, 45, was sentenced to two years in jail for drink-driving, possessing a rifle and ammunition and holding a firearm without a licence. On July 22, […]

Toddler safe after police drama

Thu 28th October 2004:

A 20-year-old man who allegedly snatched his two-year-old son from his former partner in the Far North yesterday will appear in the Kaikohe District Court today. Up to 50 police, including the armed offenders squad, were involved in the operation from about 7.30am. The boy and his mother were the subject of a protection order. […]

Are Dads Getting A Fair Go?

First it was Wayne Pruden who kidnapped his son, now another father has taken the law into his own hands abducting his son, so is the Family Court giving fathers a fair go, or are some Dads out of control? Streaming video of Holmes interviewing Jim Bagnal from Union of Fathers

Infanticide defence review

Mothers who kill their children may not be able to argue post-natal depression to avoid a murder conviction after a Government-ordered review of infanticide laws. Justice Minister Phil Goff has asked the Law Commission to consider whether infanticide should be repealed, because sentencing laws now allow judges to consider mitigating factors for murder and vary […]

Worried father can’t find his 15-month-old son

Wiping away tears, Hamilton man Wayne Pruden talks about how he went to pick up his 15-month old son yesterday and came home without him. He should have had his 15-month-old son returned to him after a four-week holiday in Vietnam. But Mr Pruden, 42, has no idea where his son is, though it is […]

Traditional Kiwi Male Threatened

Sun 24th October 2004:

Well away from pig hunting and jugs of beer, in the halls of Waikato University, psychology lecturer Dr Darrin Hodgetts says for the last couple of decades men have been told that there’s something wrong with expressing the sort of manly traits idealised by brewery and ute adverts… A couple of decades of feminism has […]

Nelson police not sorry for arresting father after birth

Fri 22nd October 2004:

Nelson police are unapologetic for arresting a man shortly after his partner gave birth to a baby girl they say is drug-dependent due to the mother’s drug addiction. The five-day-old baby has been placed into the interim care of Child, Youth and Family after police concerns about the mother’s drug habit and the arrest of […]

Protest at Counsel for Child Workshop

Wed 20th October 2004:

The New Zealand Law Society’s October 2004 Advanced Counsel for Child Workshop at Waipuna Lodge in Auckland was the target of a Union of Fathers protest last Monday. Men have long complained that counsels for child often act as a second lawyer for the mother, and typically fail to protect the father/child relationship. Union of […]

Men’s Centre 10th Birthday Party

Mon 11th October 2004:

A small but dedicated bunch of men women and children (plus a “parrot” – centre of photo behind cake) turned up to celebrate the 10th Aniversary of Men’s Centre North Shore. Several super-heroes were in attendance. Jack Lioneagle’s protest songs were played loudly, Speights was sunk and cake was eaten. The evening’s most enthusiastically received […]

Young Males: Strengths-based and male-focused approaches

Tue 5th October 2004:

The Ministry of Youth Development (formerly Youth Affairs) have recently produced a literature review on Young Males. Launched by the Hon John Tamihere, Minister of Youth Affairs, the publication Young Males: Strengths-based and male-focused approaches is anticipated to be of great interest to all people who work with the young men of New Zealand. It can be found at http://www.myd.govt.nz/pag.cfm?i=414

Taboos hide same-sex violence

Tue 28th September 2004:

Experts say domestic violence is just as severe and as prevalent in same-sex relationships as in heterosexual ones, with a third of homosexual partnerships estimated to be abusive. But a taboo exists around what the gay community calls the “second closet”, resulting in under-reporting of violence and a scarcity of support services. Auckland’s Jo Butler, […]

Concerns over Family Court media censorship powers

Sat 25th September 2004:

Government plans to give Family Court judges the power to vet media stories is a form of censorship that journalists strongly oppose, Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) New Zealand chairman Gavin Ellis said today. Family Court proceedings would be opened to the public and media with tight restrictions in place, the Government announced yesterday. Changes were […]

Secrecy No Answer To Domestic Violence

Sat 18th September 2004:

Dr Muriel Newman – Press Releases – Social Welfare ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader and Social Welfare Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman today predicted that New Zealand would never be able to reduce its levels of domestic violence so long as the Family Court protects perpetrators behind closed doors. “On Radio New Zealand today, Chief Family […]

Batman protest admired by NZ group

Fri 17th September 2004:

Fathers in New Zealand are waiting for their own Batman to raise awareness for their cause. A man dressed as the caped crusader has drawn world wide attention for the plight of dads estranged from their children after staging a five hour protest perched on a ledge at Buckingham Palace. The Union of Fathers here […]

Let our boys be boys, says Tamihere

Tue 14th September 2004:

John Tamihere has again defended boys’ rights to be boys. The Youth Affairs minister has attacked the media’s portrayal of boys as “problems” and society’s failure to recognise their differences. He told the New Zealand Family Daycare Association conference in Rotorua last night: “We are told their behaviour needs to be controlled, managed or handled. […]

BSA upholds Peter Ellis Nine to Noon complaint

Sat 11th September 2004:

The Broadcasting Standards Authority today released a decision upholding a complaint from Peter Ellis about an interview conducted on National Radio’s Nine to Noon programme in August 2003. The BSA ordered Radio New Zealand to pay $5,300 legal costs to the complainant, to broadcast an apology on Nine to Noon, to publish a summary of […]

DPB Recovery is not Child Support

Fri 10th September 2004:

Maharey defends penalty on solo mums Media Release 10 September 2004 Jim Nicolle NZ Child Support Reform Network DPB recovery is not Child Support “Given the fundamental flaws of the Child Support Act 1991, it is not surprising that mothers refuse to lodge a so call Child Support application,” commented Jim Nicolle, spokesperson for the […]

Govt rejects law commission view that structural change needed

The Government is not convinced major changes to the structure of courts are needed but has ordered officials to look into this further. However, Justice Minister Phil Goff and Courts Minister Rick Barker said its focus was first on improving efficiency in the courts system rather than planning radical changes to its structure. The Government […]

A Men’s Affairs Ministry?

Tue 7th September 2004:

Labour tells us ” its on the radar” .The ACT Party responds with a call to “scrap the Ministry of Women’s Affairs” . Let me take you back to Monday 6 September : Over tea last night Jim, Kerry, Jack and myself discussed the Men’s Picnic on fathers day at Parliament. It was a great […]

Scrap women’s affairs ministry – ACT

The ACT Party has a way to deal with John Tamihere’s suggestion for a ministry of men’s affairs — even things up by scrapping the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. ACT MP Heather Roy said Mr Tamihere was right when he said men were not treated the same as women. “But rather than setting up a […]

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