THE FAMILY PARTY
www.familyparty.org.nz
15 October 08
Key and Clark miss the mark on family
Family Party leader Richard Lewis says both John Key and Helen Clark failed to recognise the importance of family in
tackling the major issues in last nights televised debate.
“Politicians continue to view important issues such as youth crime, violence, poverty and education as if they are
somehow independent from the family unit. Yet the home environment is the single most important factor in ensuring young
people assimilate into community with a healthy and well rounded approach to life. Neither leader recognised or
acknowledged that fact,” says Mr Lewis.
Mr Lewis says Labour’s nine-year tenure has been a failed social experiment that has created distance between parents
and children and significantly increased the influence of government in the home. As examples he sites changes to the
Care of Children’s Act that has reduced parents to the legal status of ‘caregivers’ instead of custodians of their
children, child abortions without parental knowledge or consent and the anti smacking law that has undermined parents in
the home.
“Under MMP there are parties such as the Greens and Maori Party that advocate specific causes and they do so
effectively. There has never been a more important time to have a party totally dedicated to keeping the cause of New
Zealand families at the forefront of political decisions. And that is what the Family Party is all about,” he added.
Tonight Mr Lewis and Family Party delegates are holding a public meeting at the Pataka Museum in Porirua at 7pm.
ENDS