Monday 17th May 2004

Money No Answer for Social Ills: Destiny NZ Wellington

Destiny NZ political leader, Richard Lewis says this week's NZ Youth Justice (CYF) conference in Wellington needs to get real about the state of NZ and acknowledge that unhealthy societies reflect unhealthy families.

At a public meeting in Wellington on the weekend, Lewis said issues stemming from social and family breakdowns would not be solved through fiscal means alone. He added that people shouldn't be fooled by the Labour Government's pending budget promise to accommodate low income families.

"No matter how much money and resources you throw at the problem, if you dismantle and manipulate family structure, you undermine the family function," said Lewis. "A marriage between a man and a woman is the universally proven stable basis for raising children. The state cannot and should not replace the role and function of dads and mums in society - but in 2004 that is exactly what is happening. The imminent Care of Children Bill provides for girls of any age to have an abortion without their parents knowledge and consent, it is this kind of legislation that completely dissempowers parents and puts the power in the state".

He also condemned Government decisions to lower the legal drinking age and to legalise brothels, citing an epidemic in teenage binge drinking and STD's, and the advent of pre-teen prostitution as predictable outcomes of these unethical and careless decisions.

Launched last July, Destiny New Zealand has built up a significant support base and plans to stand candidates in many electorates at the next election. The party has already held public meetings in many North Island centers and will be presenting its family, economic, education and Treaty of Waitangi policies in Napier this Friday.

For more information on Destiny New Zealand please visit www.destinynz.org.nz.

ENDS

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