1. Cabinet Minister’s Comments On s59 Welcomed
Family First Media Release 1 June 2009

Family First NZ is welcoming comments made by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett in a radio interview over the weekend. When a caller to the programme on Newstalk ZB asked the Minister whether she thought a smack as part of good parental correction should be a criminal offence in NZ, the Minister responded ‘ No I don’t , I believe that actually good parenting should be left to do that in their different ways in their different homes and I don’t have an interest in going into people’s homes and telling them how to parent’.

“This is a welcome change to the previous message that parents have received from politicians that ‘we know best how to raise your kids’,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Ms Bennett is also willing to acknowledge the difference between a smack as part of good parental correction, and child abuse. She went on to say ‘I’ve got the hat on of being hugely hugely concerned with serious abuse — now I think they’re very different things so do understand I’m not saying that section 59 was ever going to stop that..’. She also admitted that she would never have introduced an anti-smacking bill.” READ MORE LISTEN

2. Call to Prime Minister to change child discipline law
Radio NZ News 31 May 2009

The Family First lobby group has published an open letter to the Prime Minister citing evidence of families being prosecuted and children removed under the child discipline law. National director Bob McCoskrie says a promise by John Key to change the law if good parents are criminalised should now be acted on. The advertisement appears in two Sunday papers. It lists four cases which the lobby group says shows evidence of what it calls the “anti-smacking law” in action. One example tells of two parents separated from their children for two nights. They were interviewed for five hours by police after admitting they sometimes smack their children. A law change in 2007 removed the defence of “reasonable force” for adults accused of assaulting a child. Mr McCoskrie says Mr Key needs to follow-up on his previous promise to make changes if the law harmed good parents. He says a Royal Commission should also be established to tackle the real causes of child abuse. Mr McCoskrie says changing the law now could prevent what he calls “a costly and time consuming” referendum on the issue, which is due to take place later this year. READ MORE
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Published in the Christchurch Press
3. Families Commission — An Outsider’s View
Bob McCoskrie — National Director Family First

Let’s be honest. The Families Commission was set up by the previous Labour government as a sop to the United Future party with its then eight MP’s. United Future had run on a strong pro-family platform. Ironically, this kept in power a government who then rammed through a number of anti-family pieces of legislation including the decriminalisation of prostitution, the anti-smacking law, the ‘white elephant’ Civil Unions and Relationships legislation, opposed notifying parents when their teenagers wanted an abortion, and opposed raising the drinking age. But back to the Families Commission…. READ MORE

4. Even students understand the difference!
NZ College Herald 2 June 2009

“It wasn’t a smack on the bottom that turned Darth Vader bad.”
Read article from a year 12 student featured in the College Herald.

5. Well done Ian Grant – and about time too!
East And Bays Courier 03 June 2009

Parents Inc founder Ian Grant has been recognised in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to youth and parenting. Parenting, youth and marriage gurus Ian and Mary Grant are an inspiration in the eyes of many. READ MORE

6. Gardasil – A guide for parents and caregivers
Family Life International – Guide

In recent months the New Zealand public has been subjected to an intense marketing campaign promoting the new Gardasil vaccine manufactured by the international pharmaceutical company Merck & CO. ..While the marketing campaign and the media coverage of Gardasil has been widespread and at times very emotive, it hasn’t actually fully informed Kiwi parents about all of the important facts about the vaccine. The end result of this has been that many parents have been left unable to make fully informed decisions about this vaccine, and in some cases parents are even dramatically overestimating the actual effectiveness and safety of the Gardasil vaccine because of the lack of information that has been provided to them. DOWNLOAD FREE PAMPHLET

7. Divorce hurting boys’ education; experts
Otago Daily Times 30 May 2009

The educational achievements of New Zealand boys may be falling victim to the soaring divorce rate, according to experts. ..Education consultant Joseph Driessen said children who came from broken homes were typically 25 per cent behind other children in achievement. “Boys are affected by divorce very deeply because 85 per cent of custody goes to the mother and guys just disappear. That needs to change,” he told The Press. READ MORE