‘Anti-Smacking’ Lobby Submissions Analysed

Family Integrity representatives attended the first sitting of the Justice and Electoral Select Committee last Thursday to consider submissions on MP Sue Bradford’s Bill to repeal Section 59.

It was a showcase of the “heavies” lined up in favour of repeal: Save the Children, EPOCH, Familes Commission, UNICEF, Parent.org, Barnardos, Relationship Services, CCS, IHC and the Commissioner for Children. Each of these was totally in favour of repeal, and each was also absolutely opposed to any amendment or attempt to define what constitutes “reasonable force”. It was almost as if they were reading from the same script as each one mentioned the following 8 points:

[Read more...]

Society exposes NZ Aids Foundation’s failed policies on HIV/AIDS prevention

 

Press Release 19/05/06

The NZ AIDS Foundation’s (NZAF) response to the SPCS press release (Scoop 12/05/06) that dealt with NZAF’s promotion of condoms to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission, demonstrates why this homosexual-lobby fringe group is so ineffective in reducing this growing health crisis amongst the “gay” community.

[Read more...]

Society Responds to NZ AIDS Foundation’s Spurious Claims

 

Press Release 12/05/06

The New Zealand AIDS Foundation strongly rejects claims that its new “safe sex” advertisement, featured in the latest issue of gay magazine Jack, is pornographic (Scoop 11/05). This is about as true as their spurious claim that condoms will prevent the transmission of the HIV virus.

[Read more...]

Society responds to Whitcoulls and Chief Censor over "gay" magazine row

Press Release: 11 May 2006
The Society has written an open letter to Whitcoulls (NZ) congratulating its management for refusing to stock the “gay” magazine JACK. It has responded to the arguments put forward by Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, that sexually explicit NZ AIDS Foundation ads in the magazine promoting ‘safe-sex’ via condom use are in the “public good”.

[Read more...]

Official Information Request to Minister Rick Barker and Department of Internal Affairs

10 May 2006

Official Information Request: 14 Questions

Attention:
Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Rick Barker
and the Chief Executive of the Department of Internal Affairs, Mr Christopher Blake
Re: Appointment process involving eight vacancies on the Film and Literature Board of Review
Dear Sirs,
The Society’s national executive is seeking urgent answers to the following questions:
1. Why did it take the Minister 18 months before calling for nominations for the eight statutory positions on the Film and Literature Board of Review that became vacant on 31 May 2004?

More Questions (2-14)

2. In the light of the expiry date noted in Q.1: Why has it taken the Minister four months following the closing date of nominations for these eight positions, 21 December 2005, to make a decision to reappoint all eight members of the board, a decision first notified to the public by way of his press released dated 8 May 2006?
3. How many nominations were received by the Minister for these eight positions and how many of the the nominees were suitably qualified for consideration for the positions.
4. What was the nature and scope of the appointment process undertaken by the Department of Internal Affairs and the Minister in the consideration of those applicants nominated?  

5. How many meetings were held by the Department of Internal Affairs officials to seriously consider the suitability of those persons nominated for board positions and did the Minister attend any of these meetings – if so how many?
6. Were any of the persons nominated formally contacted by the Department and/or the Minister in order to acknowledge that their application/nomination were being considered, or for any other reason, and if so, how many and when?
7. Was a short list ever drawn up by Department officials and/or Minister of the most suitably qualified nominees and were any meetings held by the Department and/or Minister to discuss the persons on any short list created?
8. What was the nature and number of the meetings held between Mr Barker and the Ministers of Justice and Minister of Women’s Affairs over the applications involving nominated persons?
9. Does the Minister take the view that his statutory duties to apply the law (re the appointment process) are suspended during the period a select committee considers a bill that proposes changes to that law, and if so, why and on what legal basis?
10. Does the Minister take seriously his statutory duties under the Films, Videos and Publications Classification Act 1993 to ensure that vacancies in the executive of the Office of Film and Literature Classification are filled, and if so why?
11. Why has the Minister not done anything about the fact that there has been a vacancy in the Office of Film and and Literature Classification since late September/October 2005, namely the position of Deputy Chief Censor of Film and Literature.?
12. On what, if any, legal basis, does the current Deputy Chief Censor Ms Nicola McCully, still hold office following the expiry of her term of office?
13. When does the Minister envision calling for nominations for the position of Chief Censor, currently held by Mr Bill Hastings, which becomes vacant later this year?
14. Does the law allow the Minister to reappoint eight board members so that they are able to hold the postion for a continuous period exceeding six years, as has been done with respect to five of the board members reappointed?
Yours sincerely
David Lane
(Secretary)
Mike Petrus (President)
Graham Fox (Vice President) 

Censors’ rehiring upsets watchdog

The Dominion Post

May 9 2006 (p. A4)

By ANNA CHALMERS

The reappointment of a government censorship board has been met with dismay by a community watchdog, which has called the process a “sham”.

Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker announced yesterday that all eight existing members of the Film and Literature Board of Review would stay on.

But Society for the Promotion of Community Standards spokesman David Lane said the appointments contradicted the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act, which stipulated members could not serve on the board for more than six years.

After the reappointment of president Claudia Elliott till March 31, 2009, she, and other members, would have served up to nine years, Mr Lane said.

“It’s completely against the spirit of the law. This is just another rush decision by a minister who does not follow proper processes.”

Jobs for all but one of the nine members of the board expired in May 2004 after an initial three-year term. The Government has already come under fire for the two-year gap in reappointing members, or making replacements.

A spokesman for Mr Barker said the members’ term of office had been taken into consideration. “The department will have made the consideration against the legislative requirements. It would have been satisfied that it would have been okay for the minister to go ahead.”

The spokesman said reappointment delays had been caused by a review of the act, which included considering reducing board numbers, followed by the election last year.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3661743a11,00.html

Link to an announcement just made by the Minister’s office

see: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=25672

Hon Rick Barker Announces Board Appointments

Hon Rick Barker Announces Appointments to the NZ Film and Literature Board of Review

Hon Rick Barker

8/05/06

Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker has announced appointments to the Film and Literature Board of Review.

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=25672

The Film and Literature Board of Review is a statutory appeal body. It examines publications already classified by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (the Chief Censor’s Office). Each publication is examined without regard to the initial classification.

“On 31 May 2004 the terms of eight members of the Film and Literature Board of Review expired. Changes to relevant legislation and the 2005 General Election caused considerable delays in the appointment process for these positions. The eight members agreed to remain in office until such time as the appointment process could be completed.

[Read more...]

Deputy Chief Censor Vacancy and Minister’s Failure

Press Release 3/05/06

The Society is calling on the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. Rick Barker, to replace the Deputy Chief Censor of Film and Literature, Ms Nicola McCully whose statutory position became vacant on 17 September 2005, over seven and a half months ago. The Minister has failed in his statutory duty to fill this position, having neither replaced her, removed her from office, nor re-appointed her. The Society contends that he has had more than sufficient time to do so since he became the Minister of Internal Affairs.

[Read more...]

%d bloggers like this: