Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

2008's #1 Issue: Govt Respect For Role Of Parents


No.1 Issue for 2008 - Government Respect For Role of Parents

Family First NZ has identified government respect for parents as the number 1 issue for 2008.

"Politicians, with the support of UN Conventions, the Children's Commissioner and Youth Law Project to name a few, have sought to increase children's rights without considering the vital role of parents," says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. "Parents understandably feel undervalued, under-resourced and under suspicion."

Recent examples include:

* a teenager who attempted to use the Care of Children Act to 'divorce' her parent because she didn't like the family rules

* the Privacy Act being quoted by the Police as justification for hiding the whereabouts of a 16 year old runaway daughter from her concerned parents

* CYF and Police failing to prosecute a 21 year old who admitted having sex with a girl under the age of 12

* the anti-smacking law which sent a clear message to parents that the State and its agencies know better how to raise children even if parents are reasonably and responsibly correcting their children. (Ironically Sue Bradford stated in an interview last week that the law was never intended to solve the problem of child abuse and violence)

* continued lack of an independent CYF Complaints Authority despite repeated calls for one and an increasing number of families being adversely impacted by the actions and decisions of social workers (acknowledged by a recently released book by senior social workers) without an avenue of appeal for the parents

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

* children as young as five have been told off for bringing yoghurt, muesli bars, salad rolls and juice to school as over-zealous teachers try to enforce healthy eating rules - despite parents pleading to be allowed to give their children the occasional treat

* parents concerned about the graphic nature of information regarding the meningococcal B campaign provided to children at school, mostly without consent (study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal)

* a suggestion by National's education spokeswoman Katherine Rich that the government should penalise parents who take their children out of school for a family holiday, yet failing to identify or target dysfunctional families where ongoing truancy is condoned or ignored by the parents

* proposal by the Children's Commissioner to screen every child's home, threatening to refer good parents who resist this intrusion, to social welfare agencies, while failing to target the real abusers and provide the necessary services for young and new parents

* young girls (some well under the age of sexual consent) being sneaked off by schools to get contraceptives or an abortion without any parental knowledge or consent yet these same kids have to get parental permission to go on a school trip to the zoo

Mr McCoskrie says "On one hand, a parent is responsible for the actions of their child in the community and school, and meeting their emotional, financial and physical needs, yet at the same time their role is being undermined, and weakened by laws and policies which bypass the input of parents and treat them like a sub-contractor."

"The huge irony is that the more the state undermines the role and authority of parents, the less responsibility parents will feel they should take for their children," says Mr McCoskrie.

"If the government wants parents to be responsible parents, they must firstly respect their role."

Family First will continue to monitor policies from all the political parties in Election 2008 and test whether they support and strengthen the role of parents, or create a 'rights' culture which pits children (and the State) against their parents.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.