A Men’s Affairs Ministry?
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 day full of fun and clowns,face painting, balloon’s, radio controlled cars, soccer, frisbees, lollie scrambles, sausages in sauce,music and fizzy. It was a day when some fathers where able to celebrate their fatherhood with their children. Be it balloon sword fights or or cooking the sausages together. I know my little man had a ball and will remember the picnic for a long time.
Not all dads who came had the opportunity to spend fathers day with their children. A number had been deprived of their children by the outdated, adversarial system of Family Law in our country. A system that fuels existing conflict and creates conflict where none exists. All the while tearing families apart and stripping away “liable parents” and their children’s financial future via “Child Support”. Everyone knows that New Zealand Family Law is a failed social experiment in need of real reform.
The fatherlessness of our children is a very worrying social trend. Kids need dads. Parents are demanding a system of shared parenting. Equal parents, jointly making decisions and sharing the care of our children.
It was a Fathers Day picnic on Parliament grounds , the start of a tradition that will continue for a long time. One day it will be a celebration of real reform of Family Law and the Child Support Act. The fesivity did carry a subtle message. Men have identified who has the power to bring about the radical change required to redress the balance. Political Parties have been put on notice.
Which brings us back to the current debate.
Would scrapping the Ministry of Women’s Affairs be enough to counteract the damage done by the poor quality of policy advice delivered to politicians by this organisation over the years? Is a Ministry of Men’s Affairs required?
I do know that the “Shadow Ministry of Mens Affairs” introduced themselves to the woman of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs on Monday 6 September.
The question of a Ministry of Men’s Affairs has been placed on the Agenda. It will be debated and men will decide on its merits. Major political parties continue to ignore the calls for Family Law and Child Support Reform. Not tinkering, but real reform that gives New Zealand a 21st century solution that treats all parents as equal parents, and joint decision makers who share the care of their children.
But before everyone is seduced by the blip on Labour’s radar screen lets look at the track record of Politicians.
Let’s weigh up the track record. Consistently the ACT Party has spoken in support of men, particularly separated fathers. Labour is new to the block and very slow at actually doing anything to back up the talk.
The ACT Party Deputy Leader, Muriel Newman has consistently championed men’s issues, consider what Muriel says about fatherlessness.
To reduce the growing rate of fatherlessness, family law must be reformed: our out-dated and devastatingly unfair child support laws need to be overhauled, and shared parenting introduced as a priority.
Just as two parents are equal before a relationship breaks down, so too under shared parenting they are equal afterwards – unless one is proven to be unfit.
Under shared parenting, children who are the victims of familybreakdown have the certainly of knowing that – once the dust settles – they will still have a mum and dad to love and support them on an ongoing basis.
An equal joint shared parenting model, similar to the model proposed by the Shared Parenting Council Of Australia would go a long way toward providing a real parenting solution for the 21st Century.
The 2005 election is looming and action to date shows that Men will be putting their issues on the political agenda.
The Men’s Coalition, that grew out of Men’s Convoy 2004 was formally launched at the MENZ Table conference in Taupo in July, is proving that Men from all different areas of interest can work together. The goals are clear and we will not be going away until the goals are achieved.
The target of our actions will be the party vote and certain politicians who need to listen. We will encourage men to look at a political party’s track record and cast the party vote for those with a track record of providing real solutions to the issues men face
Here is the initial judgement
Labour- John T talks nice “blokey” words, but lets look at the track record. Where do you start? Care of Children bill? Child Support? Family Court
National: Talks a lot about open courts but still wants more child tax from separated parents. We have not forgotten who gave us a lot of this current mess!
United Future: Some small percentage points. What’s the Families Commission delivered? Peter Dunne has for reform of the Child Support Act.
The Greens : Too busy smoking gunga to engage?
The Progressive Party : Don’t here a lot from Jim and Co these days.
The Act Party: Has the track record and Muriel Newman (Deputy Leader) remains the strongest advocate for Family law and Child Support Reform in Parliament.
A system to rate Political Parties and their commitment to men’s Issues is currently being developed by the Men’s Coalition. It will be used to rate the Politicians prior to election 2005.
Men cannot let the voices that speak for real reform be driven from our House of Representatives. Men will take this message to the streets, to our workplaces, to our partners, to our churches, to our sports teams. We know that our party vote is important to Politicians, they will have to earn it.
I beleive that there are large number of men who will cast their party votes to the strongest advocates of real reform. The “mens vote” is undervalued, political parties ignore us at their own peril.
A departure from my usual Child Support Column, there is some overlap. The value of the party Vote is well understood by Child Tax reformers as is the ability to network and form alliances with groups and individuals with similar interests. The issues faced by parents affected by “Child Support” are all around the Family Law System.
Time for politicians to do so maths!
Keep the comments flowing,
Scrap the CSA>
Either scrap womens affairs or have the mens affairs as well. One way or the other this needs to be fair for both. If you scrap womens affairs then there is less cost to the Govt
Comment by Mike — Wed 8th September 2004 @ 11:07 pm
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs is discriminatory and needs to be replaced with a Ministry of HUMAN Affairs to oversee an Office of Women’s Affairs and an Office of Men’s Affairs.
There is nothing feminine about modern day Feminism which has moved on from being about improving Women’s position, to being more about vilifying the essence of Men.
It takes a Man and a Woman to create a child and it takes a Father and a Mother to raise a child to become a well balanced emotionally stable adult.
Equal Time Shared Parenting is the only answer.
Comment by Lionel Richards — Thu 9th September 2004 @ 7:20 am
Just abolishing Min of Wim is not enough. Serious ‘affirmative action’ for men and fathers is needed
Comment by John — Thu 9th September 2004 @ 8:38 am
Min Women’s Affairs (MWA)was established because there was a need. It is now advancing the interests of women.
There is now a need for men’s issues to be addressed, so why not have a Min. Mens Affairs (MMA)?
Scrapping the current MWA would just create more problems for both genders. Keeping the MWA and adding a MMA would address the needs of both.
Comment by Nik — Thu 9th September 2004 @ 10:26 am
It’s funny, but the Labour goverment doesn’t realise that they are going to lose the next election, and the current Child Support policy is going to be a major factor. I can see by this site and by other information I have been looking at that there is a fast growing ground-swell against this goverment’s socialist policies. Having voted for Labour all of my life, I cannot any longer, they have gone to far, sticking their noses into every single aspect of our lifes, taxing us to death. We have to all get together and make a very big noise. 400 members of MENZ aren’t enough…I ask everyone who reads this, get others to join, lets kill off this anti-man goverment!
Comment by David Perry — Thu 9th September 2004 @ 11:55 am
Too much PC stuff in the socio-communist Labour party world. Scrap MWA – we have too much government now.
Too much government means too much tax. In 12 months following re-election current governing party introduced 17 new taxes…lucky it’s hard for them to meter the air I breathe.
Labour will lose (phew) – historically they have never been relected more than once. This must be saying something to them.
Child Support and the battlefield that is Family Law/Court have to go. Too many feminists/misanthropes after “that man” for crimes he is not guilty of.
Bring everyone you can to this site and get them to join the cause. We can be heard for the next election and we can affect the outcome.
David Cunliffe you must be starting to sweat bricks by now. Things are only going to get harder from now on in. Have you had a look at the dole queue lately?
Comment by Mark Shipman — Thu 9th September 2004 @ 4:36 pm
Talk of creating a Ministry of Men’s Affairs or scrapping the MWA seems to be taking the eye off the ball. If we are talking equality, we should be wary of any right wing party that claims to support us. Political correctness is not wrong, even if it is sometimes wrongly applied. Remember that ACT is the party of ‘market forces’ and their social policy will reflect this. You might as well throw your hat in with a party that makes social policy based on the weather!
Comment by Iain Sutherland — Fri 10th September 2004 @ 6:02 pm
I agree with John’s comments – (3). Just scrapping the MIn of Wim isn’t going to bring about fairness.
That seems too simplistic to me for the reason that I know so many boys and men who’ve been screwed over by misandric feminist practices in NZ for 30 odd years now. So there’s a serious need for redress and compensation to help boys and men who’ve been overlooked and unfairly demonised catch up – in education, in health and longevity, in realationship and parental rights.
I know personally that until I am acknowledged by the NZ powers that be as being one of those many males I know who has suffered cruelly then I’ll never feel I belong in all of NZ society, but rather horribly marginalised for simply being a heterosexual male.
Comment by Stephen — Sun 12th September 2004 @ 4:53 pm
YO – There is HOPE – We will do it again this year – More info on events @ the FaceBOOK group – The Fight for Mens Rights in the Welfare and Justice Systems
Onward – Jim
Comment by Jim Bailey — Sat 14th August 2010 @ 10:12 am
I think it would be excellent to have a “Men’s affairs” or something similar and it’s interesting to find out something had been done back in 2004 and is being done again in 2010.
Neat! Well done!
In the short time I’ve known the men’s group for men’s rights, I’ve been able to pick who’s the expert in areas where men’s voices need to be heard and I’d say it wouldn’t be too hard to make an excellent team of leaders. In some things it’s better to have experts in one area rather than jack of all trades being equal but it doesn’t mean a hierarchy if it’s a vertical system.
From there, maybe an open day or announcement could be made where the prime minister cuts a ribbon and/or makes a statement. There could be a Maori Huka and Pacific Island dance and so on welcoming it. The newspapers could write about it and when there’s something in the media needing men’s voices, someone is put forward.
Wow! It would be an awesome thing to do.
Comment by julie — Sat 14th August 2010 @ 1:55 pm
A Shadow of things to come – Onward – Jim
Comment by Jim Bailey — Mon 25th October 2010 @ 6:07 am
Hello my name is shin
I am sending this email to ask you some questing on gender issue in New Zealand.
I noticed New Zealand is one of few country where has Ministry of woman’s affair in fact N.Z and Korea is the only country where has such a government organization.
I am doing bit of research on New Zealand gender issue and MWA to find out if there is any similarity gander issue we face in Korea.
I thought you would have some better knowledge when me on N.Z gender issue and Ministry of woman’s affair.
I have few question I would like to ask you it would be grateful if you could answer some of the question I have.
Is New Zealand Women dominate society?
How does ministry of woman affair affect N.Z men (ex. does men get reverse discriminated)
Is Ministry of Woman affair really making society equal for both gender?
Does men have right to divorce a wife who been in affair against him? and will the wife still have rights to claim half of man’s estate + child custody?
Is it true at divorce Man still have to pay a child support when the child is not genetically his child (step child)
Is there a ways for man to protect his hard earned estate at his divorce?
I would like to meed up with people and discuss about this topic in depth if possible.
Thank you for your time and I appreciate your time
kind regard from shin
Comment by Shin — Tue 7th June 2011 @ 10:37 pm
Anyong Haseo Shin.
Yes, Women dominate NZ society and culture.
Men are regularly denied human rights and treated as second class citizens.
Women can easily divorce men in NZ and take assets and children and get a future income from the man too by order of courts.
Men are regularly shown in the media in a bad way.
Men only are required to do military service in times of war.
Men’s health only gets a small fraction of the funding that women’s health receives.
Women only have certain academic support in universities.
Men now get many less University degrees than women.
Men die about 6 – 7 years younger than women, so over a lifetime they pay much more income tax, get less healthcare and retirement funds back.
This is just some of the discrimination men in NZ face.
There are much more.
In brief you can say men in NZ are considered as disposable.
They are objectified as success objects.
Anyong he Kaseyo, and Kahmsahm nida for your interest.
Comment by Skeptic — Wed 8th June 2011 @ 3:53 pm
Thank you for your reply skeptic
Its Shocking to hear this from you.
I have not personally felt much discrimination while I stayed in N.Z.
I seen reading some report on Gender populating gap.
Its been know that there are lot less man to woman in terms of population.
This I presume its because all those women favoring feminist legislation government have introduced.
So this sound much like N.Z is the worst place man can live in.
No wonder young N.Z man are leaving country for better manly life.
So IS there any Right for man in N.Z at all?
What kind of help is there men to turn to when they face discrimination and unfair divorce case.
Is there any way men can protect their hard earned estate from Unfair divorce case?
So in few years time I bet there will be more gender gap and N.Z will decline in birthrate.
Does N.Z man aware of how unfair society have become?
If they are why are no man stand up and fight for their rights?
Do you think N.Z will ever become equal society.
In Korea feminism is causing problem in Society making it more unequal.
When women kill her own child Law order gives her less sentence less then 3 years accounting her mental
stress. So Women in Korea are some what known to have licence to kill and get away with short punishment and
get away.
Korean ministry of women’s affair is wasting annual fund.
1. They try to ban honey pop cereal because it has shape of women genital.
2. They have abolished Accumulated military points for man who served their compulsory military services.
3. President of women affair talk at political debate live on air claiming that Korean soldier are guard dog.
4. Establishing paid Menstrual leave for female worker.
These is the kind of activity they are pursuing.
I hope N.Z to become equal for both gender one day.
I would like to meet up with you in person if possible and have deep conversion on this topic.
kind regard
Comment by Shin Hee Yi — Wed 8th June 2011 @ 7:54 pm
Dear Shin Hee Yi- now I know there are more intelligent women in Korea than there are in New Zealand.
New Zealand women are all puzzled because no men are interested in them, the government is puzzled why not many young people to enter workforce- who is going to support older people? For this reason New Zealand wants immigration- because New Zealand people do not make enough babies,only solo mothers who need money to live.
New Zealand also has a bad problem with abused babies, from solo mothers who have no husband, but too many boyfriends. Some people in New Zealand are waking up to why these problems- but too late I think
John
Comment by John Brett — Wed 8th June 2011 @ 8:53 pm
Hi Shin Hee Yi,
To answer your questions –
Is there any way men can protect their hard earned estate from Unfair divorce case? Not when feminists and old fashioned foolish chivalrous men combine. It is best to stay single in NZ. if you live for 2 years with a woman the law says you are legally married to her. She can then divorce you and take all most/all assets and children. You then have to pay her child support until the children are 18 years old. Many men are this way reduced to poverty. Some commit suicide.
Does N.Z man aware of how unfair society have become?
Not yet, but gradually more men are learning.
If they are why are no man stand up and fight for their rights?
Some men are doing this, but is difficult because feminists can falsely accuse that man and nazi style outcome follows. That’s why we sometimes talk about the feminazi system in NZ.
Do you think N.Z will ever become equal society.
Perhaps one day if many people (mostly women) can become compassionate towards males.
I have lived in Korea for some time, so I understand it quite well. Everything you say about it is true. I am disgusted that young men only are forced to do military service or go to prison, whilst women get their own universities and own ministry!
There’s even a Shinsegae Department store in Seoul with a women only parking spot right next to the entrance doors!
Too bad if you are a disabled man! They don’t care!
The media there is also very focused on providing for women more so than men.
I have met many Korean women.
The vast majority seem the same as women in any other country I have been to – narcissistic and unkind, and only interested in what they can get from men. They see men as providers, not as human beings.
I don’t trust them and avoid them as much as possible.
I suppose it’s just their nature, and for things to change they will have to overcome their biological makeup which will take a long long time, if ever.
Comment by Skeptic — Thu 9th June 2011 @ 12:57 am
John Thank you for your reply
I am gaining more info on the issue.
I would like to as why do you think Korean Women are more intelligent?
I find dam about the same or maybe even worse then N.Z women.
For example banning honey pop cereal because it resembles female genital <— how stupid is that~ it's only food we eat for break fast.
However it's only my perspective.
Well Korea has same problem.
Korean Men rights movement are working very hard to Exterminate ministry of women's affair as they are wasting country budget further more they are destroying the society.
I believe Man need to really look in to reality and make a revolution against this evil feminized society.
however thank you for your reply.
keep in touch.
Comment by Shin Hee Yi — Thu 9th June 2011 @ 1:12 am
Shin Hee Yi – Feminism and its consequences have become a significant problem throughout much of the world. In the US, approximately nine-million men have been jailed or incarcerated in state and federal prisons during the past nine years for their inability to pay an excessive amount of child support to the mother (orders exceed actual cost of raising a child by a multiple of three on average). This and many other problems as others have described on this site are pandemic.
Comment by Darryl X — Thu 9th June 2011 @ 12:20 pm
Thank you DarrylX for your reply.
I can understand now how Serious the problem is.
I wonder what good will this feminism will do to society.
It looks like the goal of Feminism was not equality and equal right for both sex.
It’s more like reverse discriminate against man and finally exterminate men for earth gradually.
your kind regard
Comment by Shin Hee Yi — Thu 9th June 2011 @ 1:51 pm
By the way I am interested to know what kind of activity N.Z men are carrying out to fight for their rights and to make changes or is it Impossible full stop.
Comment by Shin Hee Yi — Thu 9th June 2011 @ 1:55 pm
The goal of feminism is world domination. Enslavement of men AND women. Feminists are represented by approximately 80% women and 20% men (who enable the women). They want to enslave the remaining 50% of men and women. Feminism is institutionalized malignant narcissism and psychopathy. It’s a political hate campaign directed at establishing a post feminist dystopian police state. Its goal definitely is NOT equality. I consider NZ an important country in the fight against feminism. It was late to establish feminism (about twenty years ago – someone correct me if I’m wrong; forty years ago in the US), but because of its small population and considerable isolation (NZ), the consequences were abrupt and extreme. Likewise, I hope that backlash against feminism there will be just as abrupt and extreme. I consider NZ to be a testbed of mechanisms for defeating feminism. In the end, though, we are all brothers in arms.
Comment by Darryl X — Thu 9th June 2011 @ 2:32 pm
Darryl X thank you for your reply
Looks like feminism already have dominated world.
When Feminism stroke Korea the society be came so unfair and man start to Resent
women. As Soon as Government introduce Ministry of Woman’s affair Women became so
materialistic putting value on men by what their occupation and money they earn.
Korean girls are so use to their behaviour that they can’t distinguished between
stable life to Luxurious life. Korean girls are so spoiled these days they demand
shopping cost up on their body friend. The worst thing is that Mother is raising
their girls to find rich man value money to love. The Out come of this feminism
became double edged blade for women. While they find right at work and family
court but other side man started to detest Women. Due to this International
marriage incised considerably. Which means Korean guy find more value on Foreign
women.
I hope that New Zealand men Win this war against Feminism and find their right
place as man and dad.
Comment by Shin — Fri 10th June 2011 @ 12:07 am
Hello Again Shin,
Nice to have you here with us.
I posted another reply to you earlier yesterday which was flagged as being moderated.
But no sign of it anywhere yet.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I notice that a record number of marriages took place between Korean men and foreign women in the last year.
It was recently reported in the Chosun Ilbo online newspaper.
So I believe you are correct to say more and more Korean men are turning away from materialistic, feminist Korean women.
It’s wonderful to know that increasingly men internationally are busy sorting out women into categories.
Broadly speaking sorting them out into fair-minded partners and feminist enemies, with some others who although feminist seem like they have some openness to being rehabilitated from their ideological delusions.
I think as more and more men wise up and isolate feminists it’s going to be very painful for them.
But as my father used to say “they made their own bed, now they must lie on it”.
Comment by Skeptic — Fri 10th June 2011 @ 12:24 am
Skeptic Thank you again for your reply and I thank you for your warm Korean greeting on your previous post. I am very interested to see the post that have been flagged you can always email me the if you think it will be flagged. Are you Korean by any chance? I hardly see New Zealander readying Chosun Ilbo. Ya my dad once told me Not to spend Money on girl because they tent to have you for granted N He told me rather buy your male friend a bear since they are the one who will help you when I am in difficult time. 12 years in New Zealand every single Korean Girls I have met where all demanding they wanted me to pay for all the dating cost. I was always broke so I made up mind not to be in relationship with Korean girls ever. Now I am Married to Japanese women I never regret my choice ever since. I knew I never going to get along with Korean girls because they when you to be submissive Which I am far from. I never submit to women don’t take no S..t from them.
It be nice If I can see you on person on day.
keep in touch
kind regard
Comment by Shin — Fri 10th June 2011 @ 12:59 am
Skeptic, your:
contained a word on the banned list.
I’ll let you get away with it because you aren’t simply using it instead of making a coherent argument.
Comment by JohnPotter — Fri 10th June 2011 @ 9:56 am
SPCA,,,does the Shared Parenting Council Australia still exist??
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/shakeup-to-scrap-shared-parenting/news-story/e2b3d741759aea030cd4e5bb658f2ad7
Comment by mama — Thu 27th June 2019 @ 12:58 pm
They became a political party. Haven’t had an email from them for a while, so I can’t answer that one for sure.
Comment by Downunder — Thu 27th June 2019 @ 1:00 pm
Sorry the above link will not show article,, here is an excerpt.
Courts would no longer be forced to consider equal time for both parents and a new system of state courts would be set up, as part of the biggest proposed overhaul of the family law system since the Family Court was created almost 45 years ago.
In a 583-page report released yesterday, the Australian Law Reform Commission warned federal family courts “may no longer be fit for purpose” and said the existing model, in which litigants bounced between federal and state courts, “fails to meet the needs of children and families”.
The report reveals 45 per cent of families that proceed to a final family law judgement in the Federal Circuit Court are being referred to state child welfare agencies.
Comment by mama — Thu 27th June 2019 @ 1:01 pm
From the post. Jim, Kerry, Jack and myself
Jim is probably Bagnall now deceased but could have been Jim Bailey barely alive on the North Shore. Kerry is Mr Bevin who you probably know. Jack is a community pastor from Hamilton. Myself is Jim from Wellington who last I heard was developing Parkinson disease.
I think the political party in Australia developed a Facebook site, which is probably still going.
Comment by Downunder — Thu 27th June 2019 @ 1:25 pm
#27,, the Non Custodial Parents Party?,,,I wonder if they are still going, last action I could find was 2017.
Comment by mama — Thu 27th June 2019 @ 1:34 pm