MEDIA RELEASE
25 March 2010
Call for Minister of Families in Government

Family First NZ is renewing its call for a Minister of Families to be appointed to the Cabinet in light of the resignation of Chief Families Commissioner Jan Pryor.

“It is time that families were given the status they deserve,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Governments have tinkered with Families Commissions and a Children’s Commissioner, both which have been unable to, or have failed to, fully represent the concerns and needs of families.”

“It also fails to acknowledge that families and children are not mutually exclusive.”

“The government could run an effective Ministry for Families at less than half of the cost of the combined Families and Children’s Commission budget.”

“A Minister of Families at the Cabinet table will be party to all decisions made which affect families. Commissions are simply a way of saying ‘we acknowledge you but we’re not going to give you too much authority or input’. The Families Commission was simply set up by the previous Labour government as a sop to the United Future party with its then eight MP’s.”

“We currently have Cabinet Ministers for disabled, senior citizens, youth, Maori, veterans, women’s affairs – even the rugby world cup. It’s time we stopped paying lip service to our most important asset – strong families,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“It’s time the government put families at the head table.”

ENDS

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