Couples say ‘I don’t’ to civil unions
February 27, 2006 by admin
Filed under Civil Unions
26 February 2006
By EMMA PAGE and JENNIFER DANN
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3585006a11,00.html
Marriage celebrants are opting out of conducting civil unions because barely one couple a day has elected to have the alternative ceremony since its introduction almost a year ago.
Only 362 couples have chosen civil unions, compared with 15,683 marriages, since the Civil Union Act - which allows same-sex and heterosexual couples to gain legal standing on a par with marriage - became law last April.
Only 62 heterosexual, 145 gay and 153 lesbian couples have had civil unions.
NZ Police confirm repeal of s. 59 criminalises parents who discipline by smacking
February 24, 2006 by David
Filed under Anti-smacking Bill
Friday, 24 February 2006
On 11 August 2005, Dr A Jack of the Legal Services of the NZ Police, wrote to Mr Craig S. Smith, National Director Family Integrity. His letter, which has been brought to the attention of parliament by Judith Collins MP, is reproduced below with minor editorial additions in square brackets that take account of of Dr Jack’s omissions when referring to s. 59, as well as clarifying some points.
Demographic Data Sought Urgently on Chief Censor’s Office
February 3, 2006 by David
Filed under Censor, Pornography
Media Release 3/02/06
The Society executive has requested the following information today from the Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, in an Official Information Request, marked “URGENT”. (1) Basic data on gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation for all those employed as classification officers, information unit and complaints officers in the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC); and (2) Basic data on the above demographics for members of the executive of the OFLC (Chief Censor and Deputy Chief Censor). The request notes:
CRITIC - Otago Uni Students’ Mag - banned by Censor’s Office
February 1, 2006 by David
Filed under Censor, Rape statistics
Media Release 1/02/06
In a decision dated 31 January 2006 and signed by the Chief Censor of Film and Literature, Bill Hastings, the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) has ruled that the Otago University Student Association’s Magazine CRITIC TE AROHI (Issue 23, Sept 19, 2005) is “objectionable” in terms of section 3(2)(b) and 3(2)(d) of the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 (“the Act”). The Society formally submitted this obscene and offensive publication to the OFLC for classification on the 23rd of September 2005, a few days after it was published by Planet Media Dunedin Ltd. and began to be distributed freely among university students at Otago University. The Commissioner of Police (NZ) and the Drug Rape Trust (NZ) also submitted the magazine for classification.