Judith Collins MP National Party Families Spokeswoman

17 February 2006

Clark/Greens adrift on wrong side of smacking debate

National Party Families spokeswoman Judith Collins is inviting Labour and the Greens to reconsider their support for a smacking ban in light of strong public opposition to their proposals.

"Most parents agree that a ban on smacking goes way too far.

"National supports an amendment to Section 59 to better define reasonable force and target violent child abusers. A complete repeal would only serve to make criminals out of many responsible parents, as confirmed by the Office of the Police Commissioner.

"Helen Clark and Sue Bradford need to take a deep breath, admit they're trying to push through a law that most parents disagree with, and reconsider their approach.

"National would be happy to bring its balanced perspective to talks with the Government about a reasonable compromise that doesn't expose good parents to the threat of prosecution while protecting vulnerable children," says Ms Collins.

ENDS

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