Short Changing The Future
16/06/2014
The Sensible Sentencing Trust (SST) is calling on the Government to step up and take action after the publication of the
‘The Peoples Report’.
“When personal responsibility is removed from society the outcome was entirely predictable,” Garth McVicar, SST CEO
says. “The fact is, this report could have been scripted 30 years ago when the liberal lunacy movement got underway.”
The $2million dollar, Sir Owen Glenn funded report, was aimed to disclose New Zealand’s shocking record of domestic
violence and child abuse. The report summarises the detailed experiences of frontline workers, offenders and survivors
of abuse. What is has revealed has sent shockwaves through the Nation.
“The ABCD (accountability, boundaries, consequences and discipline) are the founding principles of a well-adjusted
society,” McVicar says. “The mayhem on the streets today is simply a product of their demise.”
SST Is also concerned about comments made that suggest the reversal of the burden of proof. “To make an accused guilty
until proven innocent is a ridiculous suggestion,” McVicar says. “It is also ludicrous to be blaming poverty, as it
simply feeds the problem.”
The report also goes on to say that there is an; ‘insidious normalisation of violence in some of our families’.
“There is a significant underbelly of NZ society, present across all socio-economic groups, races, ages and other
demographics, in which violence and confrontation is the DEFAULT method of resolving disputes or getting one's way,”
McVicar says. “This has become and is, more and more ingrained in NZ's broad culture.”
SST believes that the current status quo is failing the children of New Zealand.
“Short changing your future now, is a short term fix for a long term problem,” McVicar says. “We need to change this
NOW, under our watch, not in five years when minsters can blame it on another Government!”
SST is calling for National Child Abuse Agency that contains Police powers who are independent and answer direct to the
Government.
“We also want Multi Agency Panels to be set up within a legislative framework forcing agencies such as Police, CYF’s,
Councils, and ACC to work together. At present the Police use the meetings with CYF’s when it suits not because they
have to.”
“While I congratulate the authors of this report the reality is that the liberal lunatics will be trying desperately to
discredit it. If we are serious about this,” McVicar adds. “Protecting our children cannot be just another slogan it
must become the catch-cry of every New Zealander and every child must be treated as if they really do matter.”
“As the report says children who were abused often become the next generation of abusers. Is it any wonder N Z has such
a high crime rate when policies of the past have guaranteed the criminals of the future?”
ENDS