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.

Most NZers think referendum is a waste of money – survey

July 11, 2009

Three out of four New Zealanders believe the upcoming “anti-smacking” referendum is a waste of money, a survey has found.

The Research New Zealand poll during June of 481 people found 77 percent didn’t support spending money on the non-binding referendum which will cost $8.9m.

Eighteen percent felt it was a good use of taxpayer dollars, while five percent were unsure.

Research New Zealand director Emanuel Kalafatelis said New Zealanders appeared reluctant to spend so much on a referendum during a recession.

“Despite widespread protest about the so-called ‘anti-smacking bill’, it seems Kiwis aren’t willing to spend millions of taxpayers’ dollars on a referendum.”

He said it would be interesting to see how opinions on the cost translated to voter numbers.

Of all the demographic differences in the poll, the only significant difference was between the sexes. Eighty percent of female respondents believed the referendum was a waste of money, compared with 70 percent of male respondents.