The First Step to Success is Admitting Failure

New Zealand, while you claim that you are advance because you believe in equality, you are actually behind in your thinking.  Other countries in the world has come to terms that shared parenting is a result of a Father's Rights group and in the Interest of a Father and not in the interest of the child!  Other countries like UK and Australia is at least humble enough to accept that they have make a mistake and is making an effort to rectify it for the future of their younger generation.  United Kingdom (UK) has rejected the shared parenting policy in November 2011 (refer article below).

David Norgrove's Family Justice Review has rejected calls to give fathers equal rights to share custody of their children
By Tim Shipman Wednesday, 
Nov 02 2011 
[United Kingdom] Fathers hopes of securing equal rights over their children will be dashed tomorrow when a review of family law is published. Plans to give parents equal rights to share custody of their children in the event of a split have been rejected by the Family Justice Review, led by former civil servant and businessman David Norgrove. In a further blow to fathers rights campaigners, the Norgrove Report will also reject calls to enshrine in law the principle that children should have a meaningful relationship with both their mother and father. Instead, it will simply say the courts should keep the idea of a meaningful relationship with an absentee father in mind when they make decisions about a childs future. The report was rejected as a slap in the face for fathers last night and will undermine David Camerons claims that he would speak up for a strong family life. Sources familiar with the report said Mr Norgrove had rejected statutory protection for men because it waslikely to lead to lengthy legal battles to define a meaningful relationship. In his interim report earlier this year, Mr Norgrove concluded the state of the family courts was shocking and that disputes take far too long to resolve. He also rejected plans for parents to share custody 50-50 after seeing evidence that the system does not work in countries where it has operated such as Australia. A senior government source said: The panel found that shared custody on an equal footing led to lengthy delays in the courts which are not in the interests of the child.


Australia is still practicing the policy but judges with conscience have stepped down and opposed the policy.  


Shared parenting for divorce couples 'harmful to children'
Matthew Fynes-Clinton 
November 09, 2008 11:00pm
LANDMARK laws that promote equal parenting time for separated couples are emotionally damaging children, according to lawyers and psychologists. Brisbane-based former Family Court judge Tim Carmody has branded the push towards shared parental responsibility and 50-50 parenting time "a failure".
He said the onus to apply equal shared parenting orders was part of the reason he resigned from the bench in July.
"It created a real crisis for me," Mr Carmody said. "I just couldn't keep doing it."
The orders appear to fly in the face of exceptions to the legislation, such as family violence or when equal time with parents is not "reasonably practicable". Melbourne child psychologist Jennifer McIntosh said children in 50-50 care risked developing higher than average levels of sadness, anxiety, clinginess and other mental health problems.
She said equal-time parenting could be especially damaging for children under three.

The changes - introduced by the Howard government in 2006 to assuage concerns about absent fathers - mean both parents are legally bound to jointly attempt to make "major long-term decisions" about their children's care, welfare and development.
Fifty-fifty parenting time is not automatic. But when equal shared parental responsibility is imposed, Mr Carmody says the court is required to "favourably" consider a further order that a child spend equal time with each of the parents.
The amendments were flawed because highly conflicted former partners never co-operated on decisions, Mr Carmody said.
He called for a "non-presumptive best interest-based solution". "In most cases, (that) would be in a single principal place of residence (with children) spending more time with mothers than fathers," Mr Carmody said. "For most people (in the past), that worked. Even though dads didn't like it and grumbled about it, it worked even for them."


For the sake of our children, New Zealand law makers, please listen to your children.  Dont wait 10 years after every country has reformed their parenting policy to admit that "OK, now it's time for us to follow suit".  By then the damage is already done to our children.  There is already a trend amongst the youth with the increase crime rate and suicide rate!  We need more stable upbringing to bring better youth to the future.