August 06, 2015
Maori Party urges support for tougher family violence laws
The Maori Party wants to introduce legislation that would explicitly target family violence .
Responding to a discussion paper from Justice Minister Amy Adams recommending tough action on family violence the Maori Party is urging Maori to have their say on the wide ranging review .
Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox says family violence is having devastating impact on tamariki and whanau so it's critical that Maori views are heard.
She says family violence is an intolerable violation of human rights.
Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell says while the legislative review, for which submission close on 18 September deals with the hard-end of the problem it is just part of a government-wide effort to reduce family violence which includes a whanau ora approach and working hard to break down the silo mentality of government agencies.
He says whanau violence is often intergenerational so the Maori Party will continue to strongly support programmes like 'E Tu Whanau' and 'Pasefika Proud' that are changing people's lives for the better.
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