PRESS STATEMENT FOR RELEASE
THE FAMILY PARTY
www.thefamilyparty.org.nz
23 July 08
Greens ‘listen to parents’ demand hypocritical
In a Green Party press statement released today titled, “Dear Helen, please listen to the parents – Greens,” the party
is calling on the Prime Minister to listen to parents. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0807/S00397.htm
Family Party leader Richard Lewis says while the issue is valid, he has described the Green party demand as “total
hypocrisy,” given the same party completely disregarded the voice of the vast majority of New Zealand parents who
opposed Sue Bradford’s anti-smacking bill.
“Lets be frank – the headline wreaks of hypocrisy considering the same party forced through the Anti-Smacking Bill
against the wishes of the vast majority of New Zealand parents. Not only that, they branded all New Zealand parents
potential child abusers and inferred we couldn’t be trusted to raise our own children. So I’m trying to understand why
the voice of parents matters to them now,” says Mr Lewis.
The Family Party opposed the anti-smacking bill and actively collected signatures towards the petition to have it
repealed. The Party aims to reinstate Section 59 of the Crimes Act if elected.
ends