Anti-Smacking Petition About Policy, Not Party

MEDIA RELEASE
23 October 2008

Anti-Smacking Petition About Policy, Not Party.

Family First NZ is distancing itself from attempts by the Kiwi Party to write to the more than 300,000 people who signed the anti-smacking petition, encouraging them to vote for the Kiwi Party at the upcoming Election.

“Family First is not a political party, and is not aligned or associated with any political party,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “We are speaking up on the issues and policies affecting families on a case by case basis and will not be endorsing any political party or telling people how to vote.”

“When we supported the petition, it was because we knew that the law was flawed, would fail to achieve what it was argued it would, and was opposed by a huge majority of NZ. It was about changing a bad law, dealing with the real causes of child abuse, and allowing voters to have their voice heard after being rudely ignored by politicians.”

“Family First, while agreeing with a number of the family policies of the party, does not endorse the Kiwi Party, and is concerned that NZ’ers who signed the petition may not want to be personally contacted by a political party and did not provide their information for this purpose,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“But then again, they’re not the only political party using private addresses to push their case.”

ENDS