NZ FORUM ON THE FAMILY 2019

The 12th annual New Zealand Forum on the Family will bring together a national network of family-focused organisations, scholars, leaders and individuals who are part of a movement for social change to bring NZ to a point where families are strengthened, marriage is honoured, and life is protected.

SPEAKERS

SIR WILLIAM AND LADY MARY ENGLISH

Sir Simon William English KNZM served as the 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2016 to 2017. He was the leader of the National Party from 2001 to 2003 and 2016 to 2018. A farmer and public servant before entering politics, Sir Bill was elected to the New Zealand Parliament in 1990. After the 2008 general election, he became Deputy Prime Minister and was Minister for Finance. When John Key resigned, Sir Bill won the resulting leadership election unopposed and was sworn in as prime minister on 12 December 2016. In the 2017 general election, National won the largest number of seats but fell short of a majority. Sir Bill retired from politics in February 2018. Since then, he has been travelling throughout the country and speaking against the euthanasia bill currently before Parliament.

Lady Dr Mary English is a mother of 6 and a director of The Wellington After Hours clinic and Le Va, a Pacifica organisation running youth suicide prevention programmes. She works in her own GP practice in Kelburn, Wellington. Lady English is a founding member of the NZ Health Professionals Alliance which supports freedom of conscience rights for all doctors. NZHPA supported an application in the country’s High Court in 2010 concerning the New Zealand Medical Council guidelines, titled “Beliefs and Medical Practice”, which proposed overriding existing law allowing doctors freedom of conscience rights to refuse to provide a service or give advice related to abortion. Their action was successful. Lady English has also been actively campaigning against the euthanasia bill.

TOPIC: Euthanasia – The Threat to Individuals, Families, and Medical Professionals

MIRANDA DEVINE

Miranda Devine is a columnist with The Daily Telegraph and News Corp newspapers across Australia. She is a regular commentator on Channel Nine’s Today show, Sky News and Radio 2GB. She has previously hosted The Miranda Devine Show, a syndicated radio show on Sydney station 2GB, and worked as a journalist / columnist with various media including The Sydney Morning Herald, Sun Herald, and The Daily Telegraph in Australia, The Sunday Times in London, and the Boston Herald in the US. Miranda has a Masters of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University, Chicago, and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Macquarie University, Sydney. Miranda sits on the boards of Aid to the Church in Need, and Quadrant Magazine. She has received a Centenary Medal for service as a writer and social commentator, was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention on an Australia republic, served on the committee of the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy, and was a delegate to the federal government’s 2020 Summit. Miranda lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two sons.

TOPIC: Engaging With The Media – An Insider View

MARTYN ILES

Martyn Iles was appointed Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), one of Australia’s largest lobby groups, in February 2018. He was formerly the founding Director of the Human Rights Law Alliance, an organisation that protects religious freedom through legal advocacy. The Alliance is the first organisation of its kind in Australia. The Alliance has recently been involved in dozens of cases where individuals or organisations were legally challenged for living out their religious convictions. These cases have spanned both State and Federal jurisdictions, and various courts and tribunals, including superior and appeal courts. In addition, the Alliance facilitates legal training of lawyers and law students, frequently provides policy advice to governments, and raises awareness around the relevant legal issues. Martyn worked in a top-tier commercial law firm before moving to ACL, and previously has established a successful business supplying networking and data solutions, edited a magazine, and operated a church youth ministry with disadvantaged teenagers for six years. Martyn studied his Bachelor of Laws at the University of Queensland, graduating with honours, and studies a Master of Laws at the Australian National University.

TOPIC: Freedom of Conscience and Belief – The Disturbing Trends

BEN CORT

Ben Cort is from Colorado and is the author of Weed, Inc.: The Truth About the Pot Lobby, THC, and the Commercial Marijuana Industry, released in September 2017. His passion for recovery, prevention and harm reduction comes from his own struggle with substance abuse. Sober since June 15, 1996, Ben has been a part of the recovery community in almost every way imaginable – from a recipient to a provider to a spokesperson. Ben has a deep understanding of the issues and a personal motivation to see the harmful effects of drug and alcohol abuse minimised. Ben’s Ted-X talk in 2017, What commercialisation is doing to cannabis, has had more than 1.6 million views! Ben recently visited New Zealand, speaking to community leaders, politicians and media.

TOPIC: An interview with Bob McCoskrie – What NZ Needs To Understand About The Marijuana Debate

MARIJKE RANCIE

Marijke Rancie – also known by her blogging name “Political Posting Mumma” – is a wife, a homemaker, a mother of four, and now a political activist, who is best known for her viral video which garnered over 4.8 million views and exposed the truth behind the deceptively-named SafeSchools Program in Australia. Accidentally thrust into the online world of political activism, this stay-at-home mother from the suburbs of Melbourne has become a strong voice in the culture wars in Australia, fighting the sexualisation of children, the transgender indoctrination in schools & gender theory, late-term abortion, euthanasia, and the attacks on families and freedom. Marijke was a public face of the No Campaign during the recent same-sex marriage debate. Marijke has also appeared on The Bolt Report and Sky News, and other media.

TOPIC: How A Stay-At-Home Mother Became An Activist For Families

RACHAEL WONG

Rachael Wong is the Managing Director of Women’s Forum Australia, an independent think tank striving to create authentic pro-woman cultural change through research, education and public policy advocacy. She is also a Barrister and an Adjunct Lecturer in the School of Law at the University of Notre Dame Australia. Before moving to Australia, Rachael worked with the Law Reform Commission in Samoa to bring about legislative reform to improve the lives of Samoan women and girls. Prior to this, she practised as a Solicitor in Auckland, predominantly in immigration and refugee law, and has volunteered in various human rights related roles. Rachael has a particular interest in the crossover between law, ethics, health care, human rights and women’s issues. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Auckland, and a Master of Bioethics and Health Law (Distinction) from the University of Otago.

TOPIC: Australia’s Abortion Agenda – The Lessons For NZ

REGISTRATION

$89 Early Bird Individual (if registered by 30th June)
$99 Individual (full rate)
$139 Early Bird Married couple (if registered by 30th June)
$149 Married couple (full rate)
$39 Special Student Rate

Group rates also available. Cost includes lunch and refreshments during the day, and shuttle to and from the airport – if applicable.

MORE INFO

tel: 09 261 2426
email: admin@forumonthefamily.org.nz

Cancellation and other terms
Should you wish to cancel your registration at least 30 days before the commencement of the event, we’ll refund you in full minus a $20.00 admin fee. If you cancel within 20 days of the event, we’ll refund 50% of the purchase price. If you cancel within 7 days of the event, or do a no-show on the day of the event, you’ll be liable for the full purchase price. In the unlikely event of cancellation of the event, the liability of the organisers is limited to the return of paid fees. The organisers may alter the times, dates and speakers of this event by notice to you at any time. While we are sorry if this causes inconvenience, the organisers will not be liable for any loss, damages or sadness arising from such changes.