Whangarei community group plans to vote ‘YES’

July 14, 2009

The Whangarei Everyday Communities (EDC) is a community violence prevention initiative actively promoting the safety and well-being of children, young people, families and communities. It encourages all generations to understand their role in keeping families safe and well.

The working party of the Whangarei EDC is made up of members from a number of social services including youth, health, iwi, community and government agencies and other organisations in Whangarei. For the past four years Whangarei EDC has organised a number of events, activities and workshops promoting the EDC’s key objectives, as well as supporting a range of community projects.

The Working Party is concerned at the misleading and emotively worded referendum on child discipline. Members of the Working Party are planning to vote “YES” on the referendum – child abuse is not “good parenting practice.

The Whangarei EDC supports the existing child discipline law amended by Parliament in 2007. It has the view that the funds required for this referendum could be better utilised in other areas such as positive parenting programmes and/or positive programmes for children/tamariki.

We urge MPs when Parliament reviews this law, to consider the rights of children and support positive parenting.

Retain the law.