MEDIA RELEASE
23 February 2008
Children’s Commissioner Insults Generations of Parents and Grandparents

Family First is shocked and disappointed by an astonishing attack on the intelligence of New Zealand parents by the Children's Commissioner.

The Children’s Commissioner Cindy Kiro has attempted to discredit the huge response to the two petitions asking for a Referendum on child abuse and the anti-smacking law by saying that previous generations of parents didn't parent as positively and were less qualified in knowing how to raise their children than parents of today.

"This is an incredible display of arrogance and intolerance from Dr Kiro," says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ, "and shows the disrespect she has for kiwi parenting. Most parents I talk to often seek advice from their own parents and other parents and grandparents on effective parenting techniques. They acknowledge the wisdom and experience that older parents have."

"Dr Kiro has also labelled the hundreds of thousands who have signed the petitions as gullible and misguided, and simply puppets to a political agenda. Once again, this is highly insulting to the more than 300,000 New Zealanders who care about good parenting and have thoughtfully signed the petitions, and is also an insult to the almost 75% of NZ'ers who in a poll this week say that a smack is not child abuse and shouldn't be a crime."

Dr Kiro also claims that police are not knocking on the doors of good parents because of the anti-smacking law, despite many cases to the contrary.

"This latest outburst shows how hostile the Commissioner is to anybody who disagrees with her intellectual and superior insight on parenting and families, and confirms the irrelevancy of the office," says Mr McCoskrie.

ENDS

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