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

Enforcing accountability and responsibility is essential for protecting children’s interests.

Stuff article

Family breakdown and decreasing marriage rates is costing New Zealand taxpayers at least $1 billion a year, according to new research.

Prepared by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER), the research was commissioned by Family First NZ.

“The study shows that the decline of marriage, New Zealand’s high teenage fertility rate, and our rate of solo parenthood is not just a moral or social concern but should also be a concern of government and policymakers,” said Family First NZ national director Bob McCoskrie. (more…)

FYI, my email to Elections NZ, concerning their special section naming all women who have served in parliament:

I notice that your website has a special section entitled “Women in Parliament 1933-2005”. This section stands out because there is no similar section for other subgroups in parliament. There is a section about the number of Maori, Pacific and Asian MP’s but the information that provides is much less extensive than the women’s section; for example, the women’s section names every single woman who has served in parliament, her party, term of office etc.

While the increase in women’s political participation may be interesting, it is no more so than that of other sub-groups categorized by race, sexual orientation, socio-economic status or disability. Your favouritism towards women’s participation treats their contribution in parliament as somehow better, more significant or more laudable than that of men or other subgroups. I do not believe a reasonable case could be made that women’s contribution has been superior or especially laudable, and I object to the sexism demonstrated on your web site. A special women’s section in the absence of similar sections for other sub-groups denigrates the contribution of all others who have served in parliament.

I would like to know where the directive or initiative came from for this special treatment of women on your web site, and how maintenance of this sexist propaganda is funded.

FYI, my letter to Dr McGregor, in relation to a recent case of false complaint in which the offender was, as usual, treated with undue leniency by the Court.

Dear Dr McGregor

You were quoted in the Waikato Times on 08.10.08 as follows:

“Dr Kim McGregor, director of Auckland-based group Rape Prevention Education, said that about 2-10 per cent of rape claims were false, but an estimated 91 per cent of sex attacks were not reported. Dr McGregor said false rape allegations were often triggered by traumatic experiences and questioned the benefit of prosecution in such cases.”

While you are entitled to your opinion and to express it, no doubt your position will be duplicitous. I am sure that you would not question the benefit of prosecution of male sexual offenders whose behaviour was triggered by traumatic experiences, as indeed is true for many of them. (more…)

I noticed that the UK is doing quite well with a men’s movement and I think this group is making it’s voice heard.

Real Father’s for justice

Anyhow, while reading the relevant information on the Auckland City Council website I came across the pages for event organising and noticed that they will direct you and assist you with what you need to do and provide their expertise and experience.

One thing I have noticed in the community is the desire to get men’s issues out in the open and sometimes I think there are a few egos in the political scene wanting to receive some sort of credit for it. (more…)

LONDON, October 9, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The largest UK teachers’ union wants the government to decriminalise sex with students who are over the legal age of consent. Chris Keates, the general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), said that teachers who have sex with pupils over the age of consent should not be placed on the sex offenders register. Keates called prosecution for statutory rape “a real anomaly in the law that we are concerned about.”

NASUWT complained that media reports had misrepresented their position. “To describe the NASUWT’s comments on this as ‘teachers want the right to bed pupils’ as one report has done, simply for pointing out an anomaly which criminalises a teacher but would leave any other adult free from prosecution for the same type of relationship, is a travesty.” (more…)

My name is Elizabeth Herd.

I have a Myspace page titled Sean’s Voice. This page is in honor of my sweet grandson, Sean Michael Sowards who was tortured, abused and neglected leading to his murder by his own mother when he was just two and half years old. It was in June of 2007 (just last year) that we had to say good bye and bury this precious angel. This woman not only abused Sean, but also abused my son, Sean’s daddy over the eight years they were together. (more…)

I need help. Please help!

I made phone calls today as I always do now and then to groups. But groups seem independent IMO. I find it really hard to find groups that are anti male and yet we follow an ideology.

Is this ideology just a political thing? I am serious! Maybe I didn’t get a piece or 2?

Plunket in Auckland can’t figure how they boo’ed John Keys for they don’t think they work with children over 5 years of age and Banardos understand father’s issues. (more…)

Reality of Battle Hits Home

Events over the past weekend have reminded me of just how important it is to speak up on family issues.

Last Saturday night, four women dressed in black came to our family home in South Auckland and placed almost 1,000 plastic knives into our front lawn. They also taped an intimidating note on our front door relating to the knives (anonymous of course!). (more…)

There has been one thing in particular that has stayed in my mind for the time I have known about men’s plight in New Zealand. It was told to me when I confronted some leaders of a well to do group in Auckland and argued that I think boys should be allowed to climb trees and be risk takers and fall over and scrape their knees and I think girls should be allowed to play with dolls and tea sets if they want to.

The arguments back were …. well, there wasn’t any because young men were around and spoke up themselves saying they liked being masculine. Why does a hairstyle have to be more important to males than being rough and tough? What is so wrong with sport and what is so wrong with not showing emotions all the time?

Anyhow, the sentence that I will never forget is, “I hope men don’t fall in line because that is the day we have socialism”. (more…)

In a stunning turnaround, Green MP Sue Bradford has told parents that smacking is not a criminal offence and implied that groups like Barnardos, Plunket, Every Child Counts and politicians who have said that the aim of the law was to ban parents physically punishing their children are misleading the public.

In a media release from the Green party (29th September), Bradford says ‘smacking has never been a criminal offence, and still isn’t.’

Yet only last year, she told Newstalk ZB ‘it is already illegal to smack children but her bill removes a defence of reasonable force for the purpose of correction.’ (more…)