Media release from
Parent.org
for immediate release

Who really wants more Police?

"Only a politician or someone who has lost touch with reality could want more police", states Parent.org spokesperson, Steve Gore, in response to Helen Clarks latest promise to double the number of community police. "Any sane person would be proposing initiatives to reduce police numbers, by reducing the number of criminals our country indulges".

"We are currently going through the process of opening four new prisons. Building new prisons is a clear sign that our society is failing to raise good citizens. As a nation we should be asking ourselves what do we need to do to close those prisons within a generation, and the answer is simple - we need better people."

Parent.org believes that the answer to achieving that lies in our nations parents. Parents are are the most powerful influence on a child and surely if we want that child to grow up to become someone who contributes to society rather than costing it, we should be giving them the best parents we can. Parents hold the key to social harmony, long term economic prosperity and safety for all its citizens, but sadly over the last decade or two government initiatives have made the lock a tad rusty.

"The biggest problem parents face is the environment they operate in. It is all about failure", said Mr. Gore. "They only get help when they are clearly seen to be failing, by which time a huge amount of long term damage is done to the children. While the media celebrates business success it wallows in parental failure, whenever a child is killed, beaten or neglected. The bar is set very low for parents - not failing is good enough. Surely we can do better. We shouldn't want an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff or even at the top. A smart society would want parents who have the skills and knowledge and maps to know that there is a bloody great big cliff which they should stay well away from, and a bunch of people helping them find the best path."

Parent.org points to the transformation the business environment has undergone over the last twenty years as a model for change. Before rogernomics business operated in an environment where the more a business failed to compete the more government support it got by way of tariffs and subsidies. Good business skills, up to date knowledge, innovation and leadership were unnecessary in that environment - the ability to grovel or threaten politicians was sufficient. Now business is all about high level skills and knowledge, succeeding and doing things better. Business has over sixty government agencies helping it succeed and at least half a dozen ministers pressing its case at the Cabinet table. There is no ministry of Bankrupt Businesses. On the other hand parents have Child Youth and Family, the Police and the Family Courts watching over them and no cabinet representation. That in itself shows the regard successive governments have held parents in.

The Group urges parents to use the election campaign to demand more of their political leaders at every opportunity. Parents should be seeking the following information from all parties.

- How are they going to add value to the parenting environment?

- How are they going to ensure families have sufficient resources?

- Do they think it is fair that someone who earns $39,000 and lives alone is taxed at a lower rate than someone who earns $42,000 and is supporting a partner and three children? If not - what are they going to do about it?

- Do they know how much swimming, gymnastics or drama lessons cost and do they believe that they are within reach of most families?

- We spend a lot of money attracting women to the workforce - are they going to put any money towards encouraging men to become full time fathers?

- recent moves have been undertaken to ensure childcare workers are well trained. Do they believe that it is appropriate that those who supervise children for quarter of a day get training but those that do it for twenty hours a day get none?

- How are they going to ensure parenting issues are represented at the cabinet table?

- Business training and knowledge acquisition is tax deductible - are they interested in applying the same incentive to parenting skills?

- As a nation we publicly acknowledge success in sports, arts, culture and business with various awards. How do they intend to acknowledge success in parenting?

ENDS

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