22 March 2013
The Hon John Banks
Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON 6160
johnbanks.epsom@parliament.govt.nz, john.banks@act.org.nz
Dear Sir,
Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
We are writing on behalf of the parents across New Zealand who have contacted us with fears that the Social Security Amendment Bill will destroy their freedom to make choices in the best interest of their children.
We had the privilege of reading your speech on behalf of the Bill at its first reading and were impressed to see you address some of the less popular truths about welfare. We couldn’t agree more that welfare needs reform, cutting back, and restoring to a small-community setting.
Unfortunately, National have seen fit to smuggle social obligations into the bill which will extend the government’s control over the choices of parents about their children’s education. We are very concerned about this for two basic reasons.
First, it will limit beneficaries’ choices about their children and give the government control over preschool education for beneficiaries. It will cause stress and hardship for people already in a bad situation, and it will give the government power it should not have to make decisions for other people’s families.
Second, giving the government control over preschool education for beneficiaries is prima facie discrimination according to the submission of the New Zealand Law Society. According to the Law Society, if you insist on government control of preschool education for beneficiaries, you must insist on government control of preschool education for everyone. Our concern is not simply for the many beneficiary families whom this legislation will force to make choices against their better judgement, but also for all New Zealand families if this government intervention becomes normative.
According to the ACT Party website, the guiding principle of the party is that individuals are the rightful owners of their lives and the proper purpose of government is to protect their rights without assuming their responsibilities. We applaud the ACT Party for taking this stand, and we are writing to you today to ask you to uphold this stand.
Parents have the responsibility to make decisions about their children’s education. Government intervention in this area is not a practical necessity: the voluntary early childhood education attendance rate is 90% among 3-year-olds and 95% among 4-year-olds. Many of the remaining percentage do not attend ECE either because there is no appropriate provider in their area, or because their parents passionately believe in providing quality ECE in their own homes.
The parents of these children should not need government permission to continue caring for their children in the way they see fit.
We understand that the welfare system needs reform. But it should not be at the expense of liberty. True reform will give people more responsibility, not make them more dependent on government approval and direction.
At the Third Reading of this Bill, parents all over New Zealand will be looking to the ACT Party to stand up for the principles of individual responsibility, parental choice in education, and limited government.
On behalf of these parents, we ask you to vote against the Bill at its Third Reading if it contains the Social and Work Obligations and Sanctions.
Yours faithfully,
The Home Education Foundation of New Zealand
per:
Barbara Smith
National Director
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In 1877 New Zealanders lost the freedom to educate our children at home without applying for permission. Our forefathers let us down by not standing up for their rights.
In 2013, will we be the generation that begins to lose the freedom to preschool our own children, to make our own decisions about health care, or to invest our time in our families above a job?
We say NO
Let us protect the children of Beneficiaries
Because this could extend to ALL children
if this passes
SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE
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Please feel free to repost, forward or pass on this email
Please do so with the whole post. Thankyou
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Related Links:
- Media Release 23 – Social Security Bill Passes Second Reading
- Videos of the 2nd Reading of the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
- Please ring as many MPs as you can today before 2pm
- Please email the MPs today before 2pm
- Second reading TODAY for the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
- Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill 13 March 2013 – still wanting: Action Station
- Media Release 21 – Parents Unhappy with Select Committee Report on Social Security Bill
- Long days at nursery or with childminders ‘raising a generation of school tearaways’
- Peaceful Protest TODAY outside a MPs Electorate Office – Are you going?
- Media Release 21 – Call for Peaceful Protests on Social Security Bill
- Current Social Services Select Committee Members: Urgent action required
- Media Release 20 – Accidents, Escapes Plague Early Childhood Centres
- Media Release 19 – Social Security Bill Work Focus Will Make Life Harder for Mums
- Media Release 18 – How Home-Based Child Care Saves the Government Money
- Media Release 17 –Preschool Bad for Children, Says Swedish Parental Rights Advocate
- URGENT ACTION required: Social Security Bill
- Media Release 16 – Call For Letter Writing Campaign Against Social Security Bill
- Media Release 15 – Home Educators Appeal To Human Rights Commission On ‘Discriminatory’ Social Security Bill
- Social Security Bill and the Human Rights Commission
- Home Educators on Benefits
- John Key: Let us target and focus more on those who are in need
- New Zealand, Sweden and the Johanssons
- Contacting the Select Committee
- International Human Rights Day 10 December 2012
- Media Release 14 – Social Security Bill Is Unjustifiably Discriminatory, Says NZ Law Society
- Media Release 13 – Australian Benefit Reforms Bow to Parents’ Rights
- A few more tips when giving an oral submission
- More experiences before the Select Committee
- Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill: Best Scenario?
- Home Educators happy with benefit revamp in Australia
- Kate’s oral submission and some questions
- Submissions published for the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
- Presenting Oral Submission to Social Services Select Committee
- About Early Child Care in Sweden
- ECE linked to obesity in kids: study
- BERLIN DECLARATION
- Media Release 12 – Early Childhood Education Brings Social Drawbacks, Uncertain Benefits
- New Zealand Law Society Submission
- Australians have common sense where it seems our NZ Government does not
- ECE (Preschool) is no good for 4, 5 and possibly 6 year olds expert says
- Presenting an oral submission to the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
- Social Services Select Committee members
- Barbara Smith’s submission
- Media Release 11 – Parents Are Responsible for Education, Says HEF National Director
- Media Release 10 – Preschool Associated With Social and Academic Disadvantage
- A Bit of Political Advice to Home Educators by Craig Smith
- Samuel Blight’s submission
- Home Education Foundation’s submission
- Media Release 9 – Social Security Bill Should Treat Home Education as a Legitimate Choice
- Media Release 8 – Social Security Bill Will Cause Real Hardship to Real People
- Family Integrity’s submission
- Media Release 7 – Paula Bennett’s One-Size-Fits-All Approach Leaves Parents With No Options
- 2nd letter from Paula Bennett to Barbara Smith
- Why should I put a submission into the Select Committee about the beneficiaries?
- Media Release 6 – Social Security Bill Will Punish Responsible Parents Who ‘Can’t Be Bought’
- Beneficiaries: Policy and Law
- 66 Submissions
- Submission: Trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, slavery and deception
- Media Release 5 – Beneficiary Parents “Not Able to Home School” Under Social Security Bill
- Media Release 4 – Social Security Bill Targets Responsible Parents for Toughest Penalties
- Letter from Paula Bennett to Samuel Blight
- Opinion Piece in Truth
- Possible timeline for Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
- Media Release 3 – Social Security Bill’s ECE Obligations Breach Human Rights
- Media Release 2 – Vulnerable Children Not Benefited By Social Security Bill
- Media Release 1 – Social Security Bill Coerces Parents, Removes Freedom
- Make a submission: Reject compulsory Early Education for 3 year olds
- Some of the main links
- Comment on Q+A: Social Development Minister Paula Bennett
- Human Rights in New Zealand Today: The right to education
- Raymond S. Moore on Early Childhood Centres
- Should preschool be compulsory?
- TVNZ One this morning Q&A with Paula Bennett
- Maxim Institute: What is best for children?
- HUGE Concerns over the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
- Letter from Paula Bennett concerning beneficaries and home education to Barbara Smith
- Toby Manhire on Benefit-slaying Nats starting to look plain nasty
- Linking welfare to preschool attendance a world first
- New Update on: How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
- How will the new Social obligations which will be required of all beneficiary parents effect home schoolers?
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From the Smiths:
https://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-
Updated 5 October 2012: One year on (Craig Smith’s Health) page 7 click here
Needing help for your home schooling journey:
https://hef.org.nz/2011/
And
Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:
https://hef.org.nz/getting-
and
https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/
This link is motivational: http://hef.org.
Exemption Form online: https://hef.org.nz/
Coming Events: https://hef.org.nz/
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Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill
https://hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-