Just what has the anti-smacking law achieved?

May 15, 2011

“May 16 marks the 4th anniversary of the passing of the controversial and ill conceived anti-smacking legislation by Parliament”, says Larry Baldock leader of the Kiwi party.

“Four years have passed since Parliament ignored 80% of the population in passing a law which has not seen any of the promised improvement in our awful child abuse statistics”, continued Baldock.

“Two years later parliament again rejected the overwhelming ‘no’ vote of the anti-smacking referendum when 87% of voters said a smack should not be a criminal offence.

“John Key promised that even if one good parent was prosecuted he would repeal the law. Bob McCroskie, Family First lobby group director, has faithfully documented many cases of good parents being unnecessarily placed before the courts, humiliated, harassed and embarrassed by this foolish law which the Prime Minister famously called a “dog’s breakfast”.

“Whether prosecuted or not, all parents in New Zealand have had their authority undermined and the challenging task they seek to carry out on a daily basis made more difficult by this law”, stated Baldock

“Three more defenseless, innocent babies have suffered tragedies at the hands of frustrated, angry adults in the last month. Two and a half times as many complaints of child abuse in 2010 than in 2005, and all this while millions of dollars are spent on law changes and advertising campaigns to stop the downward spiral.

“Larry Baldock joins Bob McCroskie in calling for money to be spent on a Royal Commission to investigate the real causes of child abuse in New Zealand as voted for by over 300,000 people in the anti-smacking referendum. It’s time we had a radical change of heart in our government to really commit to defending our most vulnerable citizens”, concluded Baldock

Ends

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