Christian Heritage Party Policies 1999

This page last modified 26 October 1999

Christian Heritage Party

15 October 1999

Public Access NZ
RD 1
Omakau 9182
CENTRAL OTAGO

Attention: Bruce Mason

Dear Mr Mason

Thank you for your letter dated 30 September 1999, attaching an extensive questionnaire on a variety of policy issues.

I am sure you appreciate that the Christian Heritage Party, being a minor party, has not developed detail policy to the level required by your questions. The best I can do is enclose a Manifesto and a pamphlet outlining policies that are important to our platform.

You will note that we do not wish to replace our existing common law constitution with a written 'republican' version. We also want to settle all Treaty claims quickly and fairly. That is, in a way which does not create further injustices. With respect to land law, we believe that the rights of access and frontage must be preserved.

I am sorry we cannot answer your questions more thoroughly, but we should not promise what we have not fully considered just for political expediency.

Thank you for writing to us.

Yours sincerely

Graham Capill BD LLB

PARTY LEADER

HEAD OFFICE: PO BOX 5208, PAPANU CHRISTCHURCH 8005
PHONE (03) 359-2247 FAX (03) 352-0450
E-mail: HQ@chp.org.nz

Manifesto of
The Christian Heritage Party

An Adobe PDF version of the manifesto is available on request.
Send your requests to Peter@webwise.co.nz
The file size is 1.5 Mbyte

Contents

1. Foreword
2. Major Policy Principles
3. The Family
4. New Zealand Society
5. Welfare
6. Education
7. Health
8. Economic Policy
9. Employment
10. Justice
11. Natural Resources
12. New Zealand Sovereignty
13. Summary
14. Statement of Party Principles

The text of this document was prepared by the Policy Committee of the Christian Heritage Party of New Zealand and approved by the Executive on behalf of the National Board.

January 1999

FOREWORD

1999 is an important milestone for the Christian Heritage Party as it is ten years since it was founded. During this time, crime has increased by 25 per cent, the number of abortions has increased by 70 per cent, and there are now 184 divorces a week. Such statistics suggest that those who have been in Parliament during this period have failed to provide effective, moral leadership.

Christian Heritage is for all New Zealanders who share our concern to strengthen family life and desire to see the restoration of caring communities. We consider the family to be the basic building block of society. hen family ties are strong and stable, the whole country benefits from greater honesty, thrift, productivity, better health and less crime. These are positive outcomes in moral, social and economic terms.

We are an openly Christian party which seeks to offer solutions to the ills of society. While some people may not share our faith, many would agree that Christian principles make good common sense. Their neglect in recent years has been to our detriment. For these reasons we are pro-family, pro-life, and pro-Christian values.

We see a clear distinction between church and state and have no intention of intruding on the function and purpose of the church. We come from a wide variety of backgrounds and are concerned to provide a positive political alternative for our country's future through the democratic process.

The Christian Heritage Party believes that the principles set out in the Bible present a secure framework for society and a code of practice for the wise government of the nation. We have sought to make our policies consistent with those principles.

If you agree with what we stand for, please join the Party by filling out the form at the end of this Manifesto and returning it to our office. When it comes to the election, the challenge will be to break with old habits and vote according to your conscience. Remember, that under MMP you get two votes, one for an electorate candidate and the other for a party of your choice. On election day the Christian Heritage Party needs your party vote at least. Our concern is the well-being of the nation and of our families and loved ones, which we believe to be directly linked to our the adherence to God's timeless principles.

Graham Capill
PARTY LEADER

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MAJOR POLICY PRINCIPLES

The Christian Heritage Party will:

Promote public policy consistent with biblical principles.
Promote responsible citizenship and Christian moral values.
Recognise the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.
Uphold the values of traditional marriage and family life.
Encourage parents in their responsibilities to provide for, educate and train their children.
Defend the nation from foreign aggressors.
Honour the Treaty of Waitangi as an integral part of the foundation of our nationhood and the basis for our future together as one people.
Maintain an upright and independent justice system.
Recognise the rights of citizens to hold, buy and sell property.
Maintain a system of fair, honest and just trading.
Ensure freedom of religion.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PARTIES
In Parliament, the Christian Heritage Party would vote on each issue according to its merits. It will not join any comprehensive coalition, but would act in ways that ensure stable, responsible government.

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THE FAMILY

The Christian Heritage Party is committed to the biblical concept of the family: that is, one man and one woman united by marriage, together with their children by birth or adoption. While solo parents and others living alone may also need support and encouragement, we regard the family as the basic unit of society, and believe that its freedoms and responsibilities should be protected by the state. Well-functioning families do much to ensure the peace, health and prosperity of society as a whole.

STRENGTHENING MARRIAGES
Christian Heritage would give couples a choice under which legislation they marry:

either the current regime which allows for 'no-fault' divorce and a 50/50 split of matrimonial property after living apart for two years
or a new covenant marriage option designed to encourage increased commitment in marriage. There would be limited grounds for divorce with no assumption of a 50/50 split of matrimonial property.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF FAMILY MEMBERS
All members of families have duties to each other. When parents and children fulfil their responsibilities to care for each other, the whole of society benefits and there is little need for government intervention in their lives. However, when families become dysfunctional, state intervention should be kept to a minimum.

CARE FOR THE FAMILY
We believe the government should assess the effects of all existing and proposed legislation on family life. This could be achieved by requiring the Attorney-General to advise Parliament on any measures likely to be detrimental to the family.
We also believe the government should introduce policies which make it easier for one parent to remain at home to care for the family. We would aim to make this possible by:

reconstituting the Ministry of Women's Affairs as the Ministry of Family Affairs, with the task of upholding all homemakers
initiating a homemakers' allowance for married couples with dependent children. It would be implemented by giving a regular payment to the spouse at home caring for children
splitting, for taxation purposes, the incomes of married couples with dependent children.

Christian Heritage would protect parental rights by:

placing reservations against those aspects of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which undermine a parent's lawful authority
upholding the right to refuse consent for medical treatment on behalf of their child, except where life is endangered
ensuring that they are fully informed of school curricula content
ensuring that they are informed if their child becomes pregnant.

Christian Heritage would encourage the practice of placing foster children in families but only where the foster child becomes the youngest member of the family. This removes the potential for serious damage to the foster family's existing relationships.

A DAY OF REST
Christian Heritage would seek to restore Sunday as a family day free from the pressures of commercial activity. Those who desire to attend church would thus be enabled to do so. Allowance would be made for those of different religious convictions to observe their own day of rest.

FAMILY VALUES
Christian Heritage believes in promoting family values. We are concerned about the growth of activities which damage family life. To address these, we would:

review current legislation to ensure human life is protected. We are opposed to abortion, euthanasia and the destruction or sale of embryos resulting from in-vitro fertilisation
affirm the right of citizens to exercise appropriate choices in relation to homosexuality, particularly when school age children are involved
oppose granting legal status to same-sex marriages, the adoption of children into such relationships, and the use of in-vitro fertilisation by such couples
support the right of individuals to choose their own lifestyle, but press for restrictions on the promotion or advertising of liquor, cigarettes, gambling, drug abuse, pornography, suicide, prostitution and homosexuality (especially to school students)
oppose the inclusion of blasphemy, excessive violence, offensive language, alcoholism, drug abuse and pornography in television programmes by replacing the current voluntary codes with mandatory standards
extend the obligatory levy to all forms of gambling, administered by an independent body, to rehabilitate compulsive gamblers
support curbs on the availability of alcohol, including restrictions on the sale of liquor on Sundays and the availability of alcohol at supermarkets.

CARE FOR THE ELDERLY
Care for the elderly is an important part of the Christian ethic. We consider that provision for old age is primarily the responsibility of individuals and families. When this is no longer possible, families should be involved in decisions relating to their care.

Christian Heritage would seek to address the financial disadvantages families may face if they choose to take care of elderly relatives at home.

Asset testing
Christian Heritage would seek to remove asset testing for long stay geriatric care.

Superannuation
We consider that the current levels of tax-funded national superannuation may, in time, become difficult to sustain. We support multilateral discussions on the future provision of superannuation based on:

transition to a personal contributory system over an extended period of years to allow time for retirement planning
tax incentives to encourage savings in superannuation schemes.

HOUSING
Christian Heritage would encourage home ownership through its policies of low inflation and modest interest rates.

We also recognise the needs of those on modest and low incomes and affirm that adequate housing is an essential part of family life. We accept that the government should continue a system of housing allowances for people in genuine need.

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NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY

MAORI AFFAIRS - THE TREATY OF WAITANGI
Christian Heritage recognises the Treaty of Waitangi as a foundation document of our nation. The Treaty provides a basis for mutual trust and honour between the Crown and Maori people.

ADDRESSING HISTORICAL TREATY CLAIMS
Christian Heritage would:

uphold the Treaty and its conditions in a spirit of justice and reconciliation
call for a review of the brief and make-up of the Waitangi Tribunal
increase funding of the Tribunal to enable claims to be investigated within a reasonable period of time
support the complete settlement of claims quickly and finally, while ensuring that further injustices are not created.

OTHER INITATIVES
Christian Heritage would:

seek to substitute references in modern legislation to the 'Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi' with a simple requirement to abide by the 'Articles of the Treaty of Waitangi'
make the historical background to the Treaty a compulsory part of school curricula up to Form 2
encourage the redevelopment of apprenticeships to ensure that all young people (but especially unemployed Maori youth) gain work experience while studying their trade.

NGA TAKE MAORI - TE TIRITI O WAITANGI
Ka whakaae te Christian Heritage Party ko Te Tiriti o Waitangi te mauhanga whakapumau o to tatou whenua, ko tana nei he whakarato i tetahi kaupapa hei whariki mo, te wairua whakawhirinaki tahi me te whakahonore tahi i waenganui i te Karauna me te iwi Maori.

ADDRESSING HISTORICAL TREATY CLAIMS
Christian Heritage would:

ka tiakina Te Tiriti me ona tikanga i runga i te wairua tika me te wairua maungarongo
ka karanga tia he wananga, hei titiro i nga kaupapa, i te mana o te Taraipunara o Waitangi
ka whakarahitia ake te putea a te Roopu Whakamana i te Tiriti, kia kore ai nga ketuketunga kereme e takaroa rawa
ka tautokona te mahi ki te whakatau tika i nga kereme me te ata hua, ara, e kore etahi atu mahi tukino e waihangatia ano.

OTHER INITATIVES
Christian Heritage would:

ka pupuri te Ropu Karaitiana Tukuiho, ki nga tikanga Tuturu o te Tiriti O Waitangi ahakoa kahore i honore tia, he taonga tapu tukuiho
ka whaka tinana tia e te Ropu Karaitiana Tukuiho, ki nga Kura Matauranga Tuatahi, nga heke, ngapiki, nga korero tuturu o nga tau o te Tiriti O Waitangi. Me te whakahonore tahi i waenganui i te karauna me te iwi Maori.
ka tautoko tia nga kaupapa timata mahi, kia tipu ake ai te Rangatahi Maori i roto i a ratou mahi a ringa, ahu whenua.

PACIFIC ISLAND AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS
We will encourage good relationships within a multi-cultural society by seeking to maintain:

freedom of conscience and religion
freedom of speech, opinion and publication, within the bounds of decency and the law
freedom of choice as to career, education, recreational pursuits and ownership of property.

We also accept that the development of a multicultural society calls for care to avoid bias in favour of, or against, any one cultural or ethnic group.

MEASURES TO PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTION

Amendment of the Bill of Rights to remove injustice resulting from its current interpretation.
Legislation to return the right of the Governor General to refuse assent to Bills not in the public good and to retain the right of appeal on legal matters to the Privy Council.
Oppose current moves to make New Zealand a republic.

CARING FOR ONE'S NEIGHBOUR

Institute an award system to acknowledge citizens who exemplify the spirit as well as the letter of the law.
Introduce compulsory third party insurance for all motor vehicles.
Ban dangerous canine breeds.

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WELFARE

Our welfare policy is built on the concept that individual families and communities have the primary responsibility to care for those in need. The role of the state would be to step in when such assistance cannot meet basic needs.

A JUST WELFARE SYSTEM
Christian Heritage makes a distinction between those in genuine need who cannot (either temporarily or permanently) take care of themselves; and those who are in fact capable of doing so, but choose not to. We would seek to identify and address inequities or anomalies in the current welfare system.

The aim of our welfare policy is to:

encourage individuals and their families to support and care for one another, thus strengthening family ties
ensure a greater degree of accountability in the provision of welfare
reduce the cost of state-funded welfare and the resultant taxation burden.

AN ACCOUNTABLE WELFARE SYSTEM
Christian Heritage would introduce a Social Responsibility Act. This would encourage greater openness and accountability by governments for welfare policy. It would require governments to:

announce an annual social strategy statement;
make an annual social outcome statement; and
require social impact assessments to be carried out each quarter.

Such an Act would also facilitate greater scrutiny of public policy by the political parties in opposition and, in particular, highlight the effects on families.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR WELFARE
While the Work and Income New Zealand would continue to meet all immediate needs such as the essentials of food, clothing and housing, ongoing needs would be subject to the following order of responsibility:

First Level (Family). The family or whanau, having the most personal interest in the well-being of its members, should have first responsibility for any member in need.
Second Level (Community). When the family is unable to meet these needs, local community groups would be encouraged to organise care for those in need.
Third Level (Government) When those in need can show that family and community are not able to meet their needs, the state would provide the final safety-net. Able-bodied unemployed would be encouraged to work in the community.

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EDUCATION

OBJECTIVES
Christian Heritage education policy has two goals:

to uphold parents' responsibility in the choice of education for their children
to preserve the freedom of all educational institutions in developing curricula.

SCHOOLS
Education of children is primarily the responsibility of parents and they should be able to choose the school which, in terms of philosophy and curriculum, best suits their child's needs. This may be a fully independent, integrated or state-provided school, or home-schooling.

To facilitate this we would:

introduce an education voucher system to enable state funds to be used at the school of the parents' choice
encourage private educational initiatives so that all providers attaining approved standards would be eligible for registration and voucher redemption
increase the freedom of schools to develop their own curricula, in accordance with approved educational standards
allow schools to establish their own disciplinary procedures subject to the wishes of the majority of parents
make high standards of achievement an educational priority (e.g. by reducing pupil/teacher ratios).

TERTIARY TRAINING
Christian Heritage would not raise the school leaving age beyond the age of 18, but would work towards ensuring that all young people under the age of 20 are either in employment, or are engaged in some form of education or training. This would include all NZQA-approved tertiary courses and apprenticeships.

UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHS
Institutions of higher learning are an important part of national life. In addition to their teaching and consultative roles, they seek to develop in students the skills of research, analysis and communication.

Christian Heritage believes that:

universities and university teachers often act as a public voice on national issues. University institutions should therefore continue to have the freedom to comment on policy matters of widespread concern.
private funding of tertiary education should be encouraged through offering appropriate tax relief.

Funding
We recognise that state funding is needed for teaching, as well as for research in those areas where there is no direct perceivable application, but where potential exists for future benefit in terms of cultural, heritage or scientific development (e.g. the humanities and the pure sciences).

The current student loan system would be progressively phased out with the introduction of a more comprehensive scholarship and bursary system targeted at the more capable student. Funding for this system would be sought from a combination of sources including:

student sponsorship (cadet) schemes, where an employer supports a particular student with a view to future employment;
offering a lower tax rate to businesses which contribute to the funding of tertiary education; and
additional government scholarships for those disciplines unable to attract corporate sponsorship.

Abuse of means tested student allowances would be curtailed, including firmer measures to deter sham student marriages.

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HEALTH

Healthy individuals contribute to a healthy nation and we believe that everyone should have access to good medical care.

HEALTH FUNDING
Christian Heritage would aim to change the emphasis in health funding by encouraging the purchase of private health care by those benefiting most from reduced levels of personal taxation. We support free, tax-funded medical and dental care for:

all children up to school leaving age
non-employed mothers of pre-schoolers and school children
non-paid caregivers of the severely handicapped.

Others would be eligible for tax funded subsidies on basic health care. We would encourage the purchase of voluntary health insurance cover by allowing tax deductions on premiums.

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Christian Heritage supports:

establishing and maintaining national standards for health care services
focusing more on the needs of patients
imposing substantial penalties for breaches of standards of care or delivery of service.

PROTECTING HUMAN LIFE
A fundamental principle of all health care is the preservation of life.B Christian Heritage would:

vigorously uphold the legal rights of the unborn child. As an initial step towards that goal, we would amend the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act by removing the 'mental health' clause under which more than 99 per cent of all abortions are performed.
continue to regard euthanasia, including assisted suicide, as illegal
make it illegal to destroy, experiment on, or sell embryos resulting from in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).

ACCIDENT COMPENSATION
We propose a reform of the Accident Compensation legislation to:

ensure that individuals as well as organisations are responsible for their actions
allow settlement of certain categories of claims through the courts while preserving the essential elements of the Act.

Christian Heritage supports the introduction of competition to services provided by the Accident Compensation and Rehabilitation Insurance Corporation.

ADMINISTRATION OF HEALTH SERVICES
Christian Heritage supports the transfer, free of charge, of publicly owned hospitals and health facilities to Community Health Trusts.

We would require the Boards of Community Health Trusts and Regional Health Authorities (the bodies responsible for purchasing health services), to be democratically elected so that they are directly accountable to the communities they serve.

We would oppose competition in the provision of health care where it may jeopardise the quality of such care or significantly disadvantage local communities.

We support the provision of secure accommodation for those mentally handicapped who pose a threat to themselves or to the community in which they live.

OTHER INITIATIVES
Christian Heritage would:

amend the Bill of Rights Act to uphold the right to life of all New Zealanders
promote adoption as an alternative to abortion
support the provision of greater resources to groups who offer rehabilitation or preventative health initiatives
legally require medical authorities to report, record, and make public all adverse events following the administration of vaccinations
support the drinking age being set at 20 years, backed up with a reliable system of age verification.
support curbs on the availability of alcohol, including restrictions on the sale of liquor on Sundays and the availability of alcohol at supermarkets.

HEALTH EDUCATION AND TRAINING

We consider that the government has a responsibility to fund public health education and research.
We would promote the advantages of chastity before marriage and faithfulness within it.
We would press for HIV as well as AIDS to be notifiable diseases.
We consider that health education should include the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse, and the risks of these to the unborn child.
Christian Heritage would promote a greater emphasis on practical professional skills in the training of nurses, with a reduced cultural content in academic courses.
No health professionals should be expected to perform medical procedures such as assisted suicide, abortion or euthanasia.
We would require parental consent before contraceptive and related advice is given to children under 16 years of age.

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ECONOMIC POLICY

THE MORAL DIMENSION
Economic policy cannot be viewed in isolation from the moral values that characterise a society. Without the promotion of values such as thrift, personal responsibility, faithfulness in marriage, and concern for the less well off, the resulting social breakdown imposes significant costs on the government and economy as a whole. For this reason, all our policies are designed to contribute to a prosperous and secure future for the nation.

OBJECTIVES
The long term vision of the Christian Heritage Party is for a vibrant free-enterprise economy, released from the burden of public debt, and underpinned by a low tax and low inflation environment. This can be achieved by sound fiscal and monetary policies which enhance the productive capacity of the private sector.

FISCAL POLICY

Christian Heritage would manage Government finances prudently, in line with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 1994. Our long term aim is for lower taxes and a tax system that is equitable and easy to administer.

To achieve this Christian Heritage would:

1. Aim for more rapid repayment of public debt. In the short term, budget surpluses would be allocated to retiring debt rather than reducing taxes.
2. Control Government spending. Reductions will come as a result of:

a. eliminating the cost of servicing government debt
b. reducing the number and size of government departments
c. lower welfare and social services costs as the rate of family breakdown is reduced by the implementation of our family values policy package.

PERSONAL TAXATION
As well as prudently managing public finances, Christian Heritage would encourage individuals and families to provide for their own health care, education and retirement. This would help to reduce government spending in these areas.

We would also ensure that the tax system strengthens families and promotes social responsibility.

To achieve these aims, Christian Heritage would:

allow tax relief on private health care insurance premiums
introduce a voucher system to enable parents to purchase public or private education for their children
allow married couples to divide their combined income between them for tax purposes
increase the tax rebate for donations to charitable organisations.
ensure that the tax on alcohol and tobacco is sufficient to cover the cost of abuse.

MONETARY POLICY
The primary focus of monetary policy should be the achievement of price stability. Low inflation is vital to encourage thrift and ensure investment is made for productive purposes. Increased savings would provide the investment funds necessary for economic growth and contribute to lower real interest rates and improved financial stability.

For this reason Christian Heritage:

endorses the main principles of the Reserve Bank Act 1989
supports the 0-3 per cent inflation target contained in the Reserve Bank's contract with the Government
will exclude Government induced inflation from the inflation target. This will ensure monetary policy does not penalise the productive sector for inflation caused by the Government

GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
While supporting free enterprise, Christian Heritage recognises that government has a responsibility to ensure honest and fair trading. It also has a duty to restrain commercial activity which undermines family life, and to assist in the provision of community services not adequately provided by the market.

To this end Christian Heritage would:

seek effective controls on monopolies and anti-competitive behaviour
retain control of SOEs and investigate the feasibility of issuing shares to the public
encourage private sector research and development through appropriate tax incentives.
make legislative and some funding provision for improving the transport infrastructure in the larger cities.

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EMPLOYMENT

FULL EMPLOYMENT - A PRIORITY GOAL
Believing that it is the responsibility of able-bodied people to seek work and so maintain their dignity and independence, Christian Heritage is committed to:

achieving an economic and social environment which promotes and encourages full employment
reforming the tax system to encourage one parent to care for the family at home. This would also increase job prospects for the unemployed.

To help achieve full employment, Christian Heritage would protect local industries by retaining or re-establishing tariffs when this is to the benefit of the New Zealand public.

LABOUR RELATIONS
Central to our policy for full employment is a free and competitive labour market. We support the principle of "freedom of association and therefore voluntary unionism". However, we recognise that the labour market is different from other market factors and requires a more considered approach. As an example, we confirm the general right of employees not to work on public holidays and days of religious significance to them.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND PAY EQUITY
Christian Heritage endorses a fair day's pay for a fair day's work irrespective of gender, with access to employment based on the merits and suitability of the applicant.

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS ACT
Christian Heritage would seek to provide safeguards against the abuse and exploitation of employees and employers within the Act.

LABOUR REFORM

We believe that government involvement in labour relations should be limited to ensuring that all employment contracts are negotiated in a responsible and co-operative manner and honoured by both parties.
Disputes regarding interpretation and enforcement of contracts should be settled by the courts.
Government should maintain its role in setting minimum wages and conditions for all workers on a national basis and review them annually.
Government should continue to oversee standards of health and safety at work and reintroduce legislation protecting the pay and conditions of workers under twenty years of age.

FAIR TRADING

We believe that private enterprise is the key to creating long-term productive jobs for economic growth.
Government has a responsibility to prevent unfair exploitation in the market place.
Government should be vigilant to enforce sound business ethics.

TOURISM

Christian Heritage would promote the responsible expansion of tourism, to ensure that our economy benefits and the environment is protected.

UNEMPLOYMENT
Christian Heritage is in favour of providing adequate relief for people unavoidably out of work. This would be conditional on the participation of the fit and able in a locally administered work scheme or in an approved retraining, education or skills programme.

TRAINING AND RETRAINING
Acknowledging the hidden costs incurred in training, employers should be given tax incentives to assist them to retrain and employ those out of work.

We would also encourage the redevelopment of apprenticeships to ensure that young people (especially unemployed youth) gain work experience while studying their trade.

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JUSTICE

An essential function of government is to maintain a just legal system. Such a system will treat suspects fairly, focus on the victims of crime, and maintain an effective system of law and order.

VICTIM RESTORATION
Christian Heritage would focus strongly on victims' rights. This would be accomplished by:

implementing a victim restoration programme which would seek to compensate fully victims of crime for the losses they have suffered. Whenever possible, these would be negotiated through victim-offender reconciliation schemes.
requiring offenders to pay restitution to their victims. Offenders unable to make full restitution within a reasonable time would be required to work to earn the necessary money.
ensuring that the proceeds of crime and any other profits derived from it (for example the sale of books or payments made for interviews) are paid as restitution to the victim.
allowing direct representation of victims' families at parole board hearings.

MAINTAINING LAW AND ORDER
Christian Heritage would:

support sufficient levels of police funding to improve crime detection and prevention
support a return to more community policing
oppose any reduction in the numbers of front-line police officers and their necessary support staff
support the continuation of legal aid
aim to stop justice being withheld by technicalities
increase funding to community groups that are effective in seeking the reform of gangs. We would continue, however, to take a strong position against gang lawlessness, including supporting, where appropriate, non-consorting orders and exemplary sentences.

SENTENCING
Christian Heritage:

believes the emphasis for non-violent offences should be on victim restoration through restitution, not custodial sentences
favours protecting victims and society by imposing longer sentences for violent crimes
supports the development of progressive sentencing to discourage repeat offending, including deferred consideration of parole
believes that sentences should reflect the seriousness of the crime. In the case of murder, this may extend to capital punishment in the exceptional circumstances of a unanimous jury decision based on the evidence of at least two reliable eye witnesses. In all other cases, we regard life imprisonment as an appropriate sentence for murder
would allow the immediate family of homicide victims to make personal statements to the sentencing judge about the effect the crime has had on them. We would also make provision for the jury to make sentencing recommendations to the judge
supports developing and encouraging effective rehabilitation programme
supports the concept of making offenders serving custodial sentences contribute towards the cost of keeping them in prison
would tighten the law relating to perjury.

CRIME PREVENTION
Christian Heritage supports longer term measures to reduce crime by:

including traditional moral and personal responsibility programmes in school syllabuses
developing educational programmes on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse
introducing stronger measures to control pornography and prostitution
opposing further casinos in New Zealand
opposing the legalising of illicit drugs including cannabis
supporting the drinking age being set at 20 years with no exceptions, backed up with a reliable system of age identification.

THE JUDICIARY
Christian Heritage would promote a just legal system, free from political influence, by supporting the establishment of an independent judicial commission. The commission would oversee the appointment, funding, and discipline of judges to ensure a high public regard for the judiciary.

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NATURAL RESOURCES

New Zealanders are blessed with a beautiful country, and bountiful natural resources which should be enjoyed and used responsibly.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT

Christian Heritage supports the objectives of the Resource Management Act 1991, to ensure that the nation's resources are managed responsibly. This can be done through improving the terms of the Act and ensuring that narrow sector views (whether of conservation or exploitation) do not override legitimate community interests.

We would seek positive moves to moderate the compliance and implementation costs associated with the Act. Where there is only one objection to a proposal, the application would not be required to proceed to a public hearing. Increased fees would be levied on those making objections based on unreasonable or mischievous tactics.

PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

Agriculture, horticulture, forestry and fishing contribute greatly to the economic prosperity of New Zealand.
As a consequence, Christian Heritage:

endorses the fundamental principle of private property ownership, together with owners' rights and responsibilities
will restrict future land-holding by foreign nationals not resident in New Zealand to leasehold tenure of less than 50 years
supports economic policies which promote sound, profitable primary industries
supports the right of primary producers themselves to organise marketing, research and development for their industries, within the broad principles determined by justice, individual freedoms and responsibilities
encourages efforts to ensure that adequate protection is given to the environment and the welfare of animals.

THE ENVIRONMENT
Christian Heritage recognises the need for the preservation of areas of outstanding natural beauty and scientific significance.
We would therefore:

ensure that citizens and visitors have reasonable access to public land and waterways
promote the reduction of pollutant emissions. Those responsible for pollution should bear the cost of cleaning up and land restoration
ensure that New Zealand national parks remain under New Zealand jurisdiction
encourage the tourist industry to accept its responsibility to help protect the environment
provide adequate funds to government agencies (eg the Department of Conservation) to ensure that resources are protected and used responsibly.

ENERGY
We support a national energy strategy to ensure that future power is provided at the optimum cost benefit and has regard to the long term environmental impact.

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NEW ZEALAND SOVEREIGNTY

OBJECTIVES
One of the functions of government is to maintain the sovereignty of New Zealand. Christian Heritage believes that the government should conduct its foreign policy with the interests of New Zealanders as its first priority. We would maintain a strong defence force and support membership of the Western Alliance.

Some specific aims of Christian Heritage are to:

retain allegiance to the Commonwealth of Nations
maintain diplomatic relations with all legitimate governments
apply diplomatic pressure to discourage totalitarian practices by foreign governments
review existing treaties and UN Conventions to ensure that they are compatible with New Zealand sovereignty and national interests
ensure that any new treaties are approved by the full legislative process before they are signed and ratified
provide support for nuclear disarmament and a nuclear-free New Zealand
avoid military intervention in foreign countries except for legitimate reasons of humanitarian, peace keeping, or treaty obligations.

ARMED FORCES:
Our specific policies concerning the armed forces are:

that the emphasis in defence spending should be on the operational components of the Army, Navy, and Air Force
to support the reintroduction of a national military or civil defence type training scheme
improve support to members of the defence forces who become sick or injured as a result of active service.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

We support free trade except when it threatens safety or security, raises humanitarian concerns, or contravenes fair trading practices.
We wish to confine the government's role in exporting to the promotion, facilitation, and commendation of New Zealand goods and services.
We support Closer Economic Relations (CER) with Australia.

OVERSEAS AID
When accountability and effectiveness can be assured, we support the Government provision of overseas aid for short term emergency relief, particularly in the South Pacific. We would continue to assist private aid organisations through the Voluntary Agencies Support Scheme.

IMMIGRATION
Christian Heritage believes it is in New Zealand's interests to attract quality migrants with needed skills from a wide range of countries. With due regard to character and health records, we support the entry of any persons who qualify for residence, regardless of their country of origin. However, immigration needs to be controlled in order to benefit New Zealand as a whole.
To these ends, Christian Heritage would:

create an independent commission to report on the implications of accelerated population growth and ethnic diversity, with recommendations on how to encourage the settlement and integration of immigrants into our smaller towns and cities
work towards a more consistent system to deal with applications from immigrants
establish a points system for grading humanitarian and refugee applications
extend educational and support services for children of refugees and new immigrants in need.

We would also encourage ethnic groups to play a greater role in helping immigrants to become fully integrated into New Zealand society.

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SUMMARY

We neither have, nor do we pretend to know, all the answers to the nation's problems. Indeed, some of them will be difficult to resolve.

We are convinced, however, that the country needs God-honouring responsible leadership and legislation which will strengthen family life. As far as it lies within the competence of government, we also acknowledge the importance of promoting high moral standards along with attitudes of care and concern for all members of society.

We recognise that there will always be those unable to fend for themselves adequately and we must all pay our share in providing for them.

We offer a means of achieving these aims through policies which are based on biblical principles. We believe that they will encourage personal responsibility with less government interference in the lives of law-abiding citizens.

To achieve these aims we need your support. If you are not yet a member or an official supporter of the Party, please fill out one of the forms enclosed.

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PARTY PRINCIPLES

We believe in one Creator God, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the inerrancy of the Holy Bible as the inspired Word of God.

We believe that the major functions of government are to uphold law and order, to maintain justice in the land, and to ensure for each individual:

i. the sanctity of life
ii. fthe freedom to own property
iii. freedom of religion, speech and assembly
iv. freedom to live one's life according to Biblical principles

We believe that any legislative decision or referendum should not contravene Biblical principles.

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Christian Heritage Party

Public Access New Zealand, P.O.Box 17, Dunedin, New Zealand