For immediate use 26th October 2006

The Project Reunion Trust is hosting a Child Support Forum, in Auckland this Sunday, to raise the profile of an issue which is fast becoming a festering wound in our society, says trustee Bevan Berg.

"For the past two weeks we have seen a carnivorous campaign from National MP Judith Collins, with emotive phrases such as Deadbeat Dads and Delinquent Dads, in an attempt to portray any person with overdue child support as a useless male."

So there are no women with unpaid child support?

It should be noted that many men are on strike, refusing to pay child support because they are unable to participate in their child's life, or they are not prepared to fund child abuse.

This is an issue that links directly to the undisciplined behaviour we are seeing in society today. It is an inconvenient issue that politicians have run away from.

United Future, with regard to Liable Parents stated, "do not allow them to leave the country with outstanding debt". The reality though, as Mr Dunne, Minister of Revenue admitted in parliament "that's a tricky legal issue"

"Its not going to be a tricky legal issue when IRD start enforcing their new powers?" asked Mr Berg.

We have been cutting fathers off at the knees for the past 20 years, we are paying the price socially and politicians are still not prepared to front up to the legislation that is the driving force behind social decay.

Ms Collins has been invited to debate the issues on Sunday, but I suspect she we continue to hide behind lame journalists who are deliberately withholding opposing points of view.

ENDS

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