I am sure most people still remember the No smacking referendum where 87.6 percent of the 1,622,150 New Zealanders who participated in exercising their right to democracy voted ‘NO’ (full provisional results) and the petitions that circulated New Zealand to make the referendum possible.

This all came about because of the voluntary hard work of Kiwi men and women like Larry and Barbara Baldock who organised the petition for the ‘no smacking’ referendum and ‘No Vote’ campaigner Bob McCoskrie of Family First. Larry has since launched a new referendum, “Should Parliament be required to pass legislation that implements the majority result of a citizens initiated referendum where that result supports a law change?” He’s done this as a follow up to the ‘No smacking referendum’ because the government ignored the results and New Zealander’s right to democracy.

Family First continues to support Larry’s work while doing so much more. Just recently Family First has joined with another interest group to care for children in a ‘raunch culture’.

Family First Media Release 17 March 2010
Family First NZ is welcoming a call by the Royal Australian and NZ College of Psychiatrists for the issue of child s*xualisation in our media to be confronted. “A number of family groups including Family First and the National Council of Women have been fighting to have this issue addressed. The addition of the voice of psychiatrists shows just how serious this call is,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. READ MORE

S*xual images now an inescapable part of children’s lives
Herald Sun (Aust) March 17, 2010
THE professional body for Australia’s psychiatrists says the self-regulation of advertising and other media industries has failed to protect children from an onslaught of s*xualised content. READ MORE

Tweenies turned off by ‘gross’ s*xy images
NZ Herald Mar 20, 2010
The early findings of a study done by lecturers at Canterbury and Victoria Universities has revealed that rather than wanting to be like Miley Cyrus, “tweenage” girls (those aged 11 to 13) found the magazine cover “yuk”, “gross” and “uncool”. The study analysed the opinions of 71 girls using video diaries and focus groups. READ MORE

This is just a small part of what Family First does. They also lobby by-laws where prostitution parlours can set up business next door to children’s schools and by-laws where nudists will be playing on the beaches right next to children. They even speak to community workers who are dealing with under-age females standing on streets offering to exchange their bodies for cash.

And yet this is still just a small part of what Family First does.

Pressure on family rises as reward hits $50,000
Sunday Star Times 21/03/2010
The reward for information leading to the conviction of the Kahui twins’ murderer has been doubled to $50,000 — a move the twins’ aunt believes could crack the case. Denise King, half-sister of the twins’ mother, Macsyna King, was unaware of the reward — which was first offered at $25,000 by Family First last month, and last week matched by Sensible Sentencing Trust supporter Michael Jacomb — until contacted by the Sunday Star-Times. …Bob McCoskrie, director of Family First, said family members who could be withholding crucial information may not be aware the reward was being offered. He hoped the financial incentive might be the “impetus they need to come clean, clear their conscience, provide that key piece of information that the police need, and deliver justice to Chris and Cru Kahui”. “The concept of having to offer a reward may irk some people, but in the end, if that’s what it takes to bring someone to justice on a case which revolted the nation, then it is a cheap price to pay.” READ MORE

But I could be here all day writing the good that Family First does and sharing all the information they provide. Lucky for me they’ve made a video describing their work, that I can present to you.

It’s everything I wanted to say. 🙂

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