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Last Sunday the first of eight live shows of Dancing with the Stars screened on TV One. Those who saw it may have noted that I am one of the participants.
It has been a challenging but enjoyable task to get close to competition ballroom dancing standards in only 6 weeks.
My dancing partner is 21-year-old Michael Hoggard, from Hamilton, and is a current New Zealand champion. He had the daunting task of teaching me the dance steps, not so easy when you have two left feet like I do when it comes to this kind of discipline.
My main motivation to be in the show is the benefit to various charities each of the eight couples is dancing for. Mine and Michael's is the Neo-Natal Trust.
Also I chose not to gain from the TV fee being offered, but instead to have it redirected to three charities of my choice - Violence Free Wairarapa is one of them.
The longer Michael and I remain in the eight-week show the more money we raise for our charities. So I am unashamedly campaigning for your votes and support to help us to not only try to win the competition but to raise as much as we can for our charities.
The public vote is via phone/txt and is a bit like they did for NZ Idol.
Clear voting details will be broadcast on the show no doubt and TV guides etc will also have information.
50 percent of each couple's score is based on the studio judges' decision, the other 50 percent will be from the voting public.
Dancing with the Stars is a glitzy, glamorous and entertaining family show, so I hope viewers will enjoy it and hope Wairarapa viewers will support Michael and I.
It is great news that legislation to extend New Zealand's paid parental leave scheme to the self-employed will be introduced to Parliament this year.
The Labour-Progressive Government introduced paid parental leave for the first time in New Zealand in 2002 and since that time 45,000 people have accessed the scheme. The scheme was extended last year to more parents and the duration of the payment period was increased from 12 weeks to 13 weeks and will be extended again to 14 weeks in December this year.
The legislation will be introduced this year and, when passed, is aimed to come into force from 1 July 2006.
Fourteen weeks paid parental leave will be available to self-employed mothers who have been working an average of 10 hours per week during the six months before the birth or date of adoption of a child (with the same right to transfer to their partners as applies for employees.)
Payment would be at a rate equal to their average weekly income, up to a maximum consistent with that applying to employees (currently $346.63 per week.).
Self-employed people who make a loss or earn less than the minimum wage for a minimum of 10 hours per week (currently $95 per week) would be entitled to parental leave payments at a flat rate equivalent to 10 hours per week paid at the rate of the minimum wage.
The extension of the Paid Parental Leave scheme to self-employed parents will be good for rural families.
A reality of the New Zealand economy is that we are increasingly reliant on women's skill and abilities as much in the rural sector as elsewhere.
The new extension is recognition of the importance that rural women play in our economy and communities.
A $12 million investment in services for children who witness family violence is a key part of the Government's commitment to eliminating violence within families.
The service will focus on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children who witness violence within families. It is essential that children are safe, well supported and able to access child-focused services.
The service will see up to 45 child advocates placed in community NGOs around the country.
Child advocates will work with children who receive family violence services from both NGOs and government agencies.
Their role will include: Education and awareness of the effects of family violence on children; ensuring all agencies respond to the needs of the child; advice and consultation with those working one-on-one with a child; and specialist assessment and referral for individual children where necessary.
Family violence is a very difficult and complex issue. To make a difference we need to affect changes at a very personal level within communities and families.
We have gone a good part of the way with our own Violence Free Wairarapa campaign, which has just celebrated its third anniversary.
We can be proud that as a community we are trying really hard to deal with our problems in a positive and constructive way.
That we are not alone as a community in the realisation that violence plays a part in the lives of some of us does not excuse violent behaviour and especially so when it comes to the weak and the defenseless - our children.
We as a community are facing up to our demons. We are challenging the notions that violence, abuse and cruelty are bigger than we are and that we can do nothing to prevent them.
My thanks to all who work so hard to make this campaign a success.
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