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30 October 2009
PRESS RELEASE
Michael Laws
Mayor
Wanganui District Council
MAYOR SAYS ‘DOMINION-POST’ STORY “INACCURATE & MISLEADING”
Mayor Michael Laws says that a ‘Dominion-Post’ story by young journalist Simon Wood saying that he suggested welfare beneficiaries be sterilised “is completely wrong, I did not say that and I have never said that”.
“What I said – and have written and publicly opined on many occasions is this:
1. That the level of child abuse and child murder in this country is unacceptable and getting worse.
2. That there is a group within our society who give their children no hope nor opportunity from the moment that they are born. That these ‘parents’ are known to authorities – social workers, the Police and CYFS – and yet the authorities can only intervene after children have been harmed.
3. That hundreds of children are removed from their parents’ care every year and thousands more come to CYFS attention because of cruelty, drug and drink addiction, violence and repeated abuse. That some children these days are even removed by CYFS at birth.
4. That it would be far better for this appalling underclass to be offered financial inducements not to have children, given the toxic environment that they would provide for any child in their care. And that this is the group most likely to place their children in harm’s way and to be killed and/or abused.
5.That the consequent financial and social savings to our community would be considerable. There are too many people who should not have children.
6.That all the liberal approaches on this issue have failed – education, public awareness campaigns, anti-smacking legislation – promoted by groups like Barnardos, the Child Poverty Action Group, the Children’s Commissioner and other such groups who are targeting mainstream parents and not problem ones.”
Mayor Laws says that most welfare beneficiaries are good parents – “and I’ve always said that”.
“Most beneficiaries regard the benefit as a temporary arrangement. But there are some who regard it as a lifestyle – who abuse it and their children. They were the target of my comments yesterday.
“It was the Dominion-Post who mistakenly said all beneficiaries – not me. I’ve had problems with Simon Wood getting his facts wrong when he was a journalist with the ‘Wanganui Chronicle’. He has done it again.
“In my interview with him yesterday, I made all the above points. Obviously English comprehension was not his strong point. My direct quotes do not support his summation.”
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