Families Commission Will Change Nothing
Wednesday 23 Jun 2004
Heather Roy - Press Releases - Other
Prime Minister Helen Clark's announcement today, that six Commissioners have been appointed to the Families Commission,
will amount to little more than an expensive talk-fest, ACT New Zealand Families Spokesman Heather Roy said today.
"Due to be formally established on July 1 2004, the Families Commission will tell us nothing more than that which we
already know to be untrue: that the white, middle-class male is to blame for everything," Mrs Roy said.
"The Commission has three core roles: advocacy, research and policy input and analysis - and, I'm sure, we'll hear
nothing from it but the rhetoric that middle-aged 1970s social scientists have been spouting for decades.
"Further, only six of the Families Commission Act's 60 clauses actually pertain to families - the other 54 relate to
working conditions and superannuation entitlements for Commissioners and Commission staff.
"Clearly, the families that will be advantaged most will be those of the Commissioners and staff, while not a single
at-risk child will benefit from this $28 million sop to United Future.
"With the Commission's `functions' being identical to those supposedly provided by the Social Development Ministry, it
is obvious that this Commission has been established to acknowledge United Future's support of Labour - not to help New
Zealand families,
"This multi-million dollar buy-off of United Future is not about addressing the problems facing families today - if it
were, the $28 million in taxpayer funding would be directly spent on health, education or welfare considerations of
at-risk children," Mrs Roy said.
ENDS