This ranking, whether you agree with its accuracy or not, certainly has to be “a wake-up call” as Children’s
Commissioner Judge Becroft called it.
Scoring lowest possible scores for non-discrimination and best interests of the child, in relation to Maori and Pasifika
children, reveals that we are not supporting the family unit as we should. Education, health, and living standards are
all affected by family relationships and functionality.
Our invaluable Maori and Pasifika people are over-represented in all the wrong stats in the country, and to allow this
to continue is indeed to discriminate against them.
The Conservative Party believes in protecting and promoting the family unit. The natural family unit consisting of a
mother, a father and children, is a vital building block of our society. We are committed to stemming the governmental
degradation of this unit. We will introduce family friendly policies and strategies aiming to strengthen, promote and
rebuild this pillar of our society.
Strong families equal a strong nation. We will advocate relationship training in school to instill a belief in, and
provide the tools to enjoy, the huge benefits of stable long lasting marriages. We will offer free pre-marriage
training. We will see struggling marriages offered support. We will speak up for the value of the family unit like no
other Party.
A happy family is a healthy family, and healthy families learn and live in a loving environment. Children are respected,
listened to, considered and valued.
Child rights start from the beginning, before a child has a voice, and if we deny the child their rights to life before
they are born, our belief system becomes entrenched in lack of value, disrespect and abusive attitudes resulting in
abusive behaviour.
“Children are our future. We must provide them with the best environment in which to learn and grow, and that is a
healthy loving family. Their greatest right is to a mum and a dad who love them and care for them. We must do all we can
to see this right met,” says Party Leader Leighton Baker.
ENDS