The Republic of New Zealand Party

Date 24 January 2008    Press Release   For Immediate Release.    

New Zealand badly needs a Ministry of Men’s Affairs, according to Hans Laven, social development spokesperson for the Republic of NZ Party. 

In his Tauranga electorate yesterday, Mr Laven said “While the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has advanced the interests of women in many commendable ways, urgent needs for men are not being addressed.”

Men die more often than women from most preventable causes.
Men’s jobs contribute almost 100% of workplace deaths and serious injuries.
Men are several times as likely to commit suicide and are suffering badly from state-sponsored family separations. 
Men’s labour and initiative continue to provide the majority of the nation’s wealth yet they find that most government services prioritise women’s interests and show little understanding of men’s needs.

“There are frequent complaints of anti-male sexism in our Courts.  Boys are failing in an education system consisting of mainly female teachers and dominated by feminist ideology,” says Laven.  
 
“To many men, every government department now seems like a Ministry of Women’s Affairs”.

Mr Laven hoped that a Ministry of Men’s Affairs would stem a deepening gender rift and encourage men and women to work together for the benefit of all.  “The Clark government has used a “divide and rule” approach against families and against the general population.  The Republic of NZ Party wants true gender equality, and believes a government’s policies should unify the nation rather than fuel blame and hatred between groups.”