MEDIA RELEASE
12 November 2008

Voters Deliver Verdict on Anti-Smacking Law

Family First NZ says that John Key and the National government should respond to the concerns of voters now rather than later, and amend the anti-smacking law to protect good parents.

“The Labour government was punished and the Greens failed to achieve their potential because of the opposition and anger over the anti-smacking law,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Even so-called left wing commentators like Chris Trotter acknowledge that Labour was punished by losing up to 100,000 potential voters because of ramming through the law, and many voters were wary of supporting either Labour or the Greens because of this and similar “nanny state” laws and regulations such as shower pressure and dictating what’s in school lunchboxes. Many Labour supporters simply stayed home because of their opposition to the anti-smacking law.”

“National should acknowledge this and win the respect of the NZ voters by amending the law and adopting the original proposal put forward by National MP Chester Borrows. This would prevent good parents being investigated and persecuted for non-abusive correction.”

“With the support of ACT, there are the numbers in parliament to deal with this issue effectively and efficiently.”

“A costly Referendum is completely unnecessary. The voters have already spoken and it simply reinforces what countless polls and the two petitions, which gained over 600,000 signatures in total, have said.”

“It’s time we targeted actual child abuse and left good parents the freedom to raise great kids,” says Mr McCoskrie.

ENDS

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