Kids learn by pushing the boundaries. By taking risks. We’ve all learnt that way. We’ve learnt about life by being out in it, and consequently we are better prepared for all the unexpected crap that life eventually brings to us.

As kids we learnt by pushing boundaries. By taking risks.

We learnt about the joys of the Kiwi out-door lifestyle on school adventure trips and by playing sports.

And generally there was a volunteer teacher, a friend, or mum or dad to make sure that we were ok and that the risks were reasonable.

That experience is rapidly changing.
The volunteers are afraid.
The school trips are being cancelled.

In trying to over protect the children the government has created a climate of fear with its interpretation of the OSH regulations.

The volunteers who ran the trips are afraid that if anything goes wrong they will be sued.

So they are now becoming much more wary of volunteering.

Why should they volunteer? They’re not compensated for the risk.

Today’s parents could be the last generation of New Zealanders who can genuinely claim the national character – stoic, adventurous, and confident off-road.

The next generation of kids are not going to get that outdoor experience that is so vital to their safety, because the volunteers won’t be there to guide them.

Kids will still take risks. That is the nature of learning. But now they will have to take those risks away from the school and away from the caring eyes of the volunteers. They will no longer play sport because there will be no volunteers to supervise.

This is robbing our kids of valuable life experiences.

It is wrong and I am putting up a Volunteers Bill that helps to protect volunteers from the stupidity of the current law changes.

Give your party vote to ACT.

We are working to roll back the creeping paralysis of the bubble wrap society.