A television special last night on child abuse showed that community organisations are doing their best to educate the public on the issue, but Government initiatives are sadly lacking.

That's the view of National's Social Services spokesperson, Bob Simcock, who says the most helpful contribution the Government could make to reducing child abuse right now is changing the law that allows people to hit children.

"Nearly all child advocates believe this will reduce the level of violence. There is an overwhelming majority in the Parliament who support reform. Yet the only party which has not taken a position on the issue is the Labour Party.

"In May, the Social Services Minister said that decisions on reform would be made by November. But in Parliament yesterday, he refused to give any indication of when the Government would respond.

"While the Justice Minister, Phil Goff, has consistently opposed changes to the law, the Social Services Minister has both opposed and supported change at different times.

"All the while, children are continuing to be abused and killed," says Mr Simcock.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>