Govt Ignores Parents But Capitulates to Green Vote

Family First NZ says that the government is more interested in securing a 'green' vote than listening to and supporting the role of parents.

"The opposition to mining gained 47,000 untested signatures but the opposition to the anti-smacking law had a massive 300,000-plus valid signatures. 87% voted against the law in the recent formal Referendum - almost 1.5 million people - while just 25,000 marched up Queen St against the mining," says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

"This government appears to be pandering to groups who they want to gain votes from but are ignoring families who may have voted for a change of government in 2008 because they wanted to be heard,"

"The government believes it is listening to voters on the mining issue but they have an even greater mandate to listen to families and to amend the smacking law to decriminalise light smacking."

Family First is calling on the government to decriminalise light smacking and to appoint a Commission of Inquiry on the real causes and solutions to child abuse.

ENDS

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