MEDIA RELEASE
31 July 2011
NZ First Set To Gain from Anti-Smacking Law Policy

Family First NZ is welcoming the policy announced by NZ First today to fix the anti-smacking law, and says the party will benefit in the polls from the announcement.

“Independent polling of NZ’ers has found a significant voter bloc for a political party that commits to amending the anti-smacking law,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

In the poll of 1,000 people undertaken by Curia Market Research in March, respondents were asked “If a political party promised that amending the law to allow light correctional smacking was a non negotiable policy at the next election, would that make you more likely to vote for them, or less likely, or make no difference to your likely vote?”

32% said they would be more likely (up from 22% in 2010) and 10% said less likely (down from 12% in 2010). Just over half said that it would not affect their vote. The response was strongest from men, but also from younger people (18-30 age bracket – 48% more likely to vote for a party that amends the law).

“That’s a potential gain of 22% for a political party, which is a significant voter bloc. Being an election year, the politicians will be forced to listen to and act on the views of NZ’ers. National benefitted from that significant voter bloc at the last election. This election, NZ First may not only promise but could be in the box seat to deliver a change to a law that is criminalising good parents and doing to nothing to solve our unacceptable rates of child abuse,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“The government hoped that by ignoring parents, the smacking debate would disappear, but while good parents who are trying to raise law abiding productive members of society are investigated, threatened, and criminalised for simply doing their job, the debate will not be going away – and nor will the level of opposition.”

“NZ First stands to gain from that opposition with today’s announcement,” says Mr McCoskrie.

See full poll results http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/files/docs/pdf/smacking%20poll%20mar%202011%20full%20report.pdf
ENDS

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