New Zealand First To Champion Amendment Of Smacking Legislation Section 59

New Zealand First announced today its intention to take steps to amend legislation regarding physical punishment of children.

“As a nation we react with horror at the torture, maiming and killing of prisoners in overseas countries, and yet the same is happening to defenceless infants and children in our homes,” said New Zealand First Education spokesman, Hon Brian Donnelly.

“We recognise this is a delicate issue and our Caucus is carefully working through the issues with an intention of drawing up a Members Bill. How the physical punishment of an infant who has not the foggiest idea of what the punishment is for can be justified, mystifies us.

“If we are going to seriously address the issue of child abuse we must undertake initiatives within a framework that is conducive to success. As long as Section 59 of the Crimes Act remains on the statute books we will continue to have shameful statistics of child abuse.

“New Zealand First believes we must have policies which will build the future of our nation and this issue is critical to such a future,” said Mr Donnelly.

ENDS

© Scoop Media