MEDIA RELEASE
18 September 2008

MP Gets Told By Voters to Change Anti-Smacking Law

Family First NZ says that a survey on attitudes to the anti-smacking law by Invercargill MP Eric Roy showing huge opposition to the anti-smacking law is indicative of the NZ-wide sentiment.

The survey, which was reported in the Southland Times today, and completed by almost 12,000 people revealed that 83% wanted the anti-smacking law overturned. Ironically, Eric Roy voted for the anti-smacking law.

“Attempts to suggest that NZ’ers need to move on and that opposition to the law change is decreasing are simply not true,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“This law was fundamentally flawed because it implicated good parents raising good kids, and has failed to do anything to deal with the real causes of child abuse – factors such as methamphetamine (P) use, alcohol abuse, family breakdown, poverty and a lack of support services for parents under stress.”

“The big question is whether the politicians are now willing to listen to the voters, or will MP’s continue to tell parents how to raise their kids because they know better,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“We don’t really need a referendum - we simply need politicians willing to listen to what voters clearly want.”

ENDS

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