I have just been talking with an MP to find out what our best approach should be in fighting a Bill.

Our Bill is the Social Security Bill. We have less than 6 weeks left. The report from the Select Committee needs to be into Parliament by 20 March 2013.

This MP encouraged us to:

1. Write emails and letters to the Select Committee members

2. Write emails and letters to all the MPs

3. Ring your local National MPs

4. Visit personally the MP in your electorate

This MP said that they get about 200 emails a day and just a few letters each day. Some MPs might take more notice of letters but most MPs do notice the emails that come into their accounts – especially if there is a groundswell of emails on a particular topic. MPs spend a lot of time at their computers so they are used to being contacted by email.

Even 3 families visiting each Electorate Office on this issue will seem like a lot to the MPs and it gives them a feel that there might be a lot of people against this issue. It is important to be visiting the National Party MPs in particular – they want to stay in office. If a large number of us visit the National Party MPs then they will take notice as we are the voters. Feel free to take your children with you – this will be very educational for them.

Letters

The Select Committee members are Jacinda Ardern, Simon Bridges, Melissa Lee, Jan Logie, Asenati Lole-Taylor, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Tim Macindoe, Alfred Ngaro, Rajen Prasad, Mike Sabin and Su’a William Sio. Letters to individual MPs should be sent to this address (no stamp necessary):

Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160

Emails

email addresses of Select Committee

Against the Bill at the 1st reading:

Jacinda Ardern, Jan Logie, Rajen Prasad and Su’a William Sio

jacinda.ardern@parliament.govt.nz, Jan.logie@parliament.govt.nz, rajen.prasad@parliament.govt.nz, sua.william.sio@parliament.govt.nz

Those who voted for the Bill at the 1st reading

Simon Bridges,  Melissa Lee,  Asenati Lole-Taylor , Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Tim Macindoe, Alfred Ngaro, and Mike
Sabin

s.bridges@ministers.govt.nz, melissa.lee@parliament.govt.nz, Asenati.Lole-Taylor@parliament.govt.nz, peseta.sam.lotu-iiga@parliament.govt.nz, tim.macindoe@parliament.govt.nz, Alfred.ngaro@parliament.govt.nz, mike.sabin@parliament.govt.nz

Please feel free to use this sample letter. Please try to put it in your own words: Sample letter to Select Committee members

Phone calls and visits

Please also write, phone and/or visit all the Members of Parliament (MPs)

List Of Members Of Parliament September 2012

In every letter and contact that you have with the Select Committee members please ask them to “PLEASE REJECT THE SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS AND SANCTIONS IN THIS BILL (Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill) .”

When contacting the MPs please ask them to use their influence on the Select Committee members to reject the social obligations and sanctions in the Bill – particularly the NATIONAL Party MPs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please feel free to repost, forward or pass on  this email

Please do so with the whole post. Thankyou

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Links to 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?

January 29, 2013

Palmerston North, NZ – Concerned parents and citizens across New Zealand are being called to take part in a letter writing campaign to fight the Social Obligations contained in the government’s Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill, says Barbara Smith, National Director of the Home Education Foundation (HEF).

The HEF, which has been advocating parental rights in New Zealand for close to three decades, says the Bill’s Social Obligations will breach parental and other rights. “Under the Social Obligations, parents on a benefit will be compelled to send their children to a registered early childhood education (ECE) provider, register them with a GP and attend compulsory Well Child checks,” said Mrs Smith.

These obligations have proved to be the most controversial aspect of the Bill “Most of the citizens and organisations who made submissions to the Select Committee on the Bill were very concerned about the restrictions this places on parents who want to make informed decisions for the good of their families,” says Mrs Smith.

“Parents, not bureaucrats, are the best people to make decisions about whether or when their children should attend ECE or see a doctor.

“The Select Committee’s report is due by March 20, 2013—they may complete it before this date. We need to have a letter writing campaign to the Select Committee members over the next few weeks. It would be even better to ring and/or visit them. There are human rights issues. There are discrimination issues. There are issues about the social drawbacks of ECE disadvantaging children and the health checks being used to enforce the government’s 99% immunisation goal. If this concerns you, please write to the Committee or contact your local MP to tell them that the Social Obligations must go.”

Mrs Smith says that the Bill will be catastrophic for everyone, beneficiary or not.

“As one family shared in their submission to the Committee, they decided to keep their daughter home from a preschool environment that distressed her. They have the financial resources to keep their daughter safe, happy, and protected. But that could change in a heartbeat.

“An injury, a death, the loss of a job—any of us could need to go on a benefit tomorrow. That shouldn’t mean losing our rights to make the best decisions for our children.”

Mrs Smith has heard from hundreds of concerned parents about the Bill’s potential impact on them.

“I heard from one solo mother who left an unsafe situation to go on a benefit,” she said. “She made the hard decision to keep her children safe and has been able to continue caring for them at home, which is already difficult given WINZ’s work test requirements.

“If this Bill passes, will mothers like her lose the right to care for and teach their own children at home? More importantly, how many mothers will stay in bad situations rather than lose the right to make good decisions for their children?”

Concerned New Zealanders should write-emails and letters, call, and visit their local MPs and the Select Committee, Mrs Smith urges.

“Postage to the Committee is free. Please, write emails and letters. Tell your friends. Make appointments to see the Committee members or your local MP.

“Let’s not lose our right to make the best decisions for our children.”

The Select Committee members are Jacinda Ardern, Simon Bridges, Melissa Lee, Jan Logie, Asenati Lole-Taylor, Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Tim Macindoe, Alfred Ngaro, Rajen Prasad, Mike Sabin and Su’a William Sio. Letters to individual MPs should be sent to this address (no stamp necessary):

Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160
More information on the bill can be found at www.hef.org.nz.

email addresses of Select Committee

Against the Bill at the 1st reading:

Jacinda Ardern, Jan Logie, Rajen Prasad and Su’a William Sio

jacinda.ardern@parliament.govt.nz, Jan.logie@parliament.govt.nz, rajen.prasad@parliament.govt.nz, sua.william.sio@parliament.govt.nz

Those who voted for the Bill at the 1st reading

Simon Bridges,  Melissa Lee,  Asenati Lole-Taylor , Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Tim Macindoe, Alfred Ngaro, and Mike
Sabin

s.bridges@ministers.govt.nz, melissa.lee@parliament.govt.nz, Asenati.Lole-Taylor@parliament.govt.nz, peseta.sam.lotu-iiga@parliament.govt.nz, tim.macindoe@parliament.govt.nz, Alfred.ngaro@parliament.govt.nz, mike.sabin@parliament.govt.nz

Please feel free to use this sample letter. Please try to put it in your own words: Sample letter to Select Committee members

About the Home Education Foundation

The Home Education Foundation has been informing parents for 28 years about the fantastic opportunity to de-institutionalise our sons and daughters and to embrace the spiritual, intellectual and academic freedom that is ours for the taking. Through conferences, journals, newsletters and all kinds of personal communications, we explain the vision of handcrafting each child into a unique individual, complete with virtuous character, a hunger for service to others, academic acumen and a strong work ethic. For more information, please visit www.hef.org.nz or more specifically hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-submission-reject-compulsory-early-education-for-3-year-olds/

Appeared here:

Scoop: Call For Letter Writing Campaign Against Social Security Bil

Voxy: Call for letter writing campaign against Social Security Bill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please feel free to repost, forward or pass on  this email

Please do so with the whole post. Thankyou

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Links to 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?

January 22, 2013

Palmerston North, NZ – As the government’s Select Committee ponders submissions on the proposed Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill, home educators across New Zealand continue to hope that their concerns over discrimination and other breaches of human rights in the Bill will be heard and addressed. Meanwhile the Home Education Foundation (HEF), which has been advocating parental rights in New Zealand for close to three decades, considers the human rights problems in the Bill serious enough to lay before the Human Rights Commission.

Barbara Smith, National Director of the HEF, says that the decision to contact the Commission was not taken lightly.

“Many organisations from religious bodies to law centres and women’s rights advocates raised the same concerns in their submissions,” she says. “Additionally, most of the submissions on the Bill came from parents who would be discriminated against by the social obligations in the Bill.”

The “Social Obligations” contained in the Bill require all beneficiary parents to ensure that their preschool-aged children attend an accredited Early Childhood Education provider, register their children with a primary health care provider and ensure that their children attend all the core Well Child checks.

According to the Law Society of New Zealand, these social obligations stigmatise beneficiaries as being unable to care for themselves or their children and will likely result in discrimination on the basis of employment status, which is prohibited by section 19 of the Bill of Rights Act.

The Dunedin Community Law Centre highlighted the discrimination involved in the Bill. “These proposals imply that beneficiaries are bad parents who do not know what is best for their children.” This was echoed in many of the submissions. “This Bill creates a category of citizen who has fewer choices and less autonomy simply because they are in receipt of a benefit,” said the Parish Council of St Andrew’s on the Terrace. A private submission stated, “The implication of the bill is that beneficiaries do not see to the necessary health needs of their children…It is a stigma for beneficiaries, rather than a social good for all.”

Others have pointed out the breach of parental rights that results from parents being unable to choose a more natural or home-based approach to preschool and health care. Many parents making submissions on the Bill objected to being forced to send their preschool children to ECE, whether or not the child is ready or the family wishes to provide quality ECE in their own home.

Many of the organisations making submissions also believed that it is not the role of the state to supplant legitimate parental choices. “Social obligation requirements take away the rights of parents to choose what is best for themselves and their families,” said the Auckland Women’s Centre. “Furthermore, some parents want to have a choice about the educational environment they put their children into. Not all ECE is suitable for all children. Some parents choose to home school their children.”

The rights of children are another consideration. One family objecting to the Bill shared how one of their children was unready to attend preschool at the usual age. The parents, unable to force their child to undergo the emotional trauma of being left in ECE all day, elected to keep her at home. “We currently have the financial wherewithal to do exactly as we see fit—but that could change in a heartbeat,” they said in their submission. “In the event of death or illness we would not only become dependent on a benefit—we’d also have our rights as parents trampled upon.”

Other organisations expressed concern over the fifty per cent benefit cuts envisioned for families who fail to comply with the “social obligations”, objecting that the children in such families are likely to suffer unacceptable harm through the loss of basic income.

“We agree with the hundreds of parents and dozens of organisations who have expressed their concern about the Bill,” says Mrs Smith. “Our concerns include discrimination against the unemployed, parental rights to choose children’s education and health care, women’s rights to choose domestic work instead of employment, and children’s rights to access the best available education without being deprived of basic income.

“We are asking the Human Rights Commission to make strong objections to the human rights violations in the Bill, and to defend the rights of beneficiaries with legal action if necessary.”

The Home Education Foundation urges all concerned New Zealanders to contact their local MP about the human rights problems in this bill. More information on the bill can be found at www.hef.org.nz.

About the Home Education Foundation

The Home Education Foundation has been informing parents for 28 years about the fantastic opportunity to de-institutionalise our sons and daughters and to embrace the spiritual, intellectual and academic freedom that is ours for the taking. Through conferences, journals, newsletters and all kinds of personal communications, we explain the vision of handcrafting each child into a unique individual, complete with virtuous character, a hunger for service to others, academic acumen and a strong work ethic. For more information, please visit www.hef.org.nz or more specifically hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-submission-reject-compulsory-early-education-for-3-year-olds/

Media release on Scoop: Home Educators Appeal To Human Rights Commission

Media release on Voxy: Home educators appeal to Human Rights Commission

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please feel free to repost, forward or pass on  this email

Please do so with the whole post. Thankyou

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Links to 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?

Sorry everyone I had unexpected things come up this week so didn’t get everything completed like I wanted to.

On Wednesday I posted my letter to the Human Rights Commission.

Tuesday morning, 22 January, I plan to send out a media release. I want to make sure the Human Rights Commission gets my letter before sending the media release out.

It would be good if as many people as possible write to the Human Rights Commission and to the Select Committee members. I have found out that it is much better to send LETTERS to the MPs rather than emails. MPs get something like 2000 emails a day and about one letter a day. They read the letters but have no way of reading all the emails.

Select Committee MPs Against the Bill at the 1st reading:

Jacinda Ardern, Jan Logie, Rajen Prasad and Su’a William Sio

Select Committee MPs who voted for the Bill at the 1st reading

Simon Bridges,  Melissa Lee,  Asenati Lole-Taylor , Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Tim Macindoe, Alfred Ngaro, and Mike Sabin

Please send seperate letters to each MP to this address. No stamp necessary.

Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160

The Select Committee’s report is due by 20 March 2013 – they may complete it before this date.

We need to have a letter writing campaign to the Select Committee Members over the next few weeks. And for those who feel up to it please ring and/or visit the Select Committee Members. So my challenge to you all and to myself is to write a letter each week to the Select Committe members until the report has been written. I will try to have new ideas here for each week. So this week and next week it is the Human Rights issues (but please feel free to write about anything that is on your heart).

In every letter and contact that you have with the Select Committee members please ask them to “PLEASE REJECT THE SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS AND SANCTIONS IN THIS BILL (Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill) .”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please feel free to repost, forward or pass on  this email

Please do so with the whole post. Thankyou

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Links to Social Security Bill:

• 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?

I have had a lot of phone calls from people wanting to know what they can be doing in regard to getting back to work.

Here is the deal.

In 2010 the MSD set up this policy for those on a benefit: unemployment, widows, sickness and DPB.

1. If your youngest child is 6 and over then you may need to work for 15 hours a week
2. If your youngest child is 14 and over then you may need to work full-time – 30 hours a week

There was no mention of how much money you had to earn just work the 15 or 30 hours a week.
I believe you can earn up to $80.00 on a benefit.

So you could be doing:

1. a paper run for 15 hours a week with the very small income that comes with junk mail runs.
2. Setting up an entrepreneurial business with all your children.  Ideas for a business where you can involve your children:

1. lawn mowing
2. gardening
3. baby sitting
4. cleaning
5. Avon
6. Tupperware
7. Rawleighs
8. Making things to sell: with wood, bread, sewing, etc
9. paper runs
10. selling things on Trademe/Sella – buy at garage sales
11. art
12. Proof reading
13. Take some of your children’s (or yours) giftings and turn them into a business
14. Plus heaps of other things – if you think of some good things then please let me know so I can add them to this list.

So if your youngest is 6 or 14 then you may have to be working (or you might be able to study still) for 15 or 30 hours a week.

Now the rest is not yet law.

So you DO NOT have to be working or looking for work if you youngest is 5 or younger.

The Social Security Bill has not been passed yet. We are hopeful that the Social Obligations will be dropped in the Bill. If they are dropped then we will seek to have the requirement for home educators to have to work for 15 or 30 hours a week, dropped from the policy made in 2010.

Now some WINZ workers let home educators off the work requirements and others are strict about home educators working. If you feel that your WINZ worker is being unreasonable then please read this link: Beneficiaries: Policy and Law.

Where are we in regards to the Social Security Bill:

The Select Committee is writing their report due 20 March 2013. They may write their report before this date.

Next week I plan to send a letter to the Human Rights Commission and to contact New Zealand First. I will also be sending out a press release. There will be things that all of us can be doing then. So keep an eye on this website for more information next week.