Media Release
29 June 2009
YACA calls for all New Zealanders to Vote NO in the upcoming referendum on child discipline.
YACA is disturbed by the rising levels of child abuse in New Zealand. Over the past few years, there have been many cases of severe child abuse, examples include Nia Glassie, the Kahui twins and many other such cases. This culture of violence must stop.
“Even though the so-called anti-smacking law was passed in 2007 the levels of child abuse have not dropped,” says YACA spokesperson Caleb Brown. “Change is needed”.
“Sue Kedgley misled the house in 2007 when she claimed that the bill ‘aims to strike a blow at the culture of violence in our society’. Sue Kedgley knew then what Sue Bradford told us later, that the bill was never intended to stop the culture of child abuse in this country.
YACA calls on all New Zealanders to use the upcoming referendum on the ‘anti-smacking’ law as a means of demanding the government to not criminalise all parents because they discipline their children. All New Zealanders must Vote No to tell the politicians that this law has not worked as Sue Kedgley said it would. All New Zealanders must Vote No demanding that the government tackles the real causes of child abuse. All New Zealanders must Vote No to ensure the government leaves good parents alone.
“The Youth of New Zealand are sick and tired of the government’s culture of inaction against the culture of violence,” Mr. Brown says.
While the Youth of NZ can not vote in the upcoming referendum, their message is clear. Vote No! Give the government a vote of no confidence in its inaction while pressuring them to do something which will truly strike a blow at the culture of violence.
ENDS
