THE FAMILY PARTY
www.familyparty.org.nz

PRESS STATEMENT FOR RELEASE

Another tough pill for parents to swallow

6 May 2008. The Family Party says supplying underage girls with the ‘morning after pill’ through community pharmacies is a bad move that sends the wrong message to children and further undermines the role of parents in the home.

Deputy Leader Paul Adams says this is another blow to parental rights and further reflects the Governments obsession to involve itself in family life.

“Having raised daughters of my own, I detest the idea that the Government minimises the consequences of illicit sexual activity by offering children a pill or abortion on demand. The Government treats children as adults and parents as children. This approach to New Zealand families is creating a culture of dangerous behaviour without consequence and minimises the role of parents in the home,” says Mr Paul Adams.

He says the kinds of solutions being provided by Government do not address the root issues of sexual promiscuity but simply add fuel to a very serious problem. Of major concern is the message such initiatives send to children – that there’s no real consequence for sexual activity and the state can solve all their problems with a pill or medical procedure.

“We face a national crisis in terms of the sexual behaviour of young people. And for it, everyone involved suffers. The evidence overwhelmingly confirms that abstinence is the best choice for our children and young people when it comes to sexual behaviour, notwithstanding kids need to know the range of options. But abortion and the pill on demand should not be options one and two,” he said.

Mr Adams says the long-term solution is in building a strong sense of self-worth and respect and having a healthy understanding of sexual behaviour as modelled through functional family life. Children and young people emerging out of strong homes will be far more likely to make better choices when it comes to sex.

“The response that is needed begins first with building stronger families, establishing healthy boundaries and a basic values system. Government should compliment that by reinforcing parents in their effort to give children a healthy understanding about the full range of implications that comes with sexual behaviour,” he added.

As part of its policies, the Family Party is proposing ‘Abstinence’ as the entry point for sex education and wants it to be mandatory for parents to be informed and duly consulted in instances of a pregnancy involving their own child.

ENDS

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