Anti-smacking petition close to forcing citizen’s referendum

http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/Story/tabid/209/articleID/44473/cat/41/Default.aspx Mon, 28 Jan 2008 04:58p.m.

Green Party MP Sue Bradford

A petition to hold a citizen’s referendum about parents having the right to smack children is gaining momentum along with thousands of signatures.

The government is not worried, but there are signs it could cause friction between political parties as the issue reignites in election year.

The petition now has 280,000 signatures – another 20,000 will mean a citizen’s referendum.

Bob McCoskrie of Family First is confident it will happen, saying: “I’m confident because most sensible New Zealanders know that a smack is not child abuse.”

Prime Minister Helen Clark does not believe the petition will reach the required 300,000 signatures saying: “It’s really a question for Kiwis – do we keep trying to make our homes a safer place for children or do we abandon the effort? I’m not for abandoning the effort.”

Green Party MP Sue Bradford says many people have signed the referendum in a climate of hysteria, whipped up by an out of touch lobby group.

“Family First is increasingly out of step with public opinion and in fact some of the people who signed this petition for the referendum back before my bill went through may have even changed their minds in the intervening period,” says Bradford.

Bradford’s law outlawing smacking passed by a majority of 113 to 8 votes last May and she is now wary of political parties changing sides in the face of popular opinion.

The National Party’s John Key, who brokered a compromise on the bill with Labour appears to be positioning himself to change his tune if necessary. He says: “If the law ends up being in a position where good parents end up being criminalised for lightly smacking their children, we think that is wrong and we would change the law. But I’m still quite confident the law as it was drafted will actually work.”

If the petition succeeds and a referendum is to be held, it would not be binding. The government would still have the final say.

The government would also pick when the referendum would take place and it is unlikely to choose any time before election day as it is a reminder of Labour pushing through an unpopular law.

More on this story:

Mon, 28 Jan 2008
• Full interview with Helen Clark Tue 17-Apr-2007
• National offers to meet with anti-smacking bill supporters

Mon 09-Apr-2007
• Child charities receive anti-smacking backlash

Mon 02-Apr-2007
• Campbell Live: The Smacking Debate

Thu 29-Apr-2007
• Poll shows majority smack children

Wed 28-Mar-2007
• Nation-wide protests over ‘anti-smacking’ bill
• Key describes Government move as an abuse of power

Wed 14-Mar-2007
• MP Field’s delay tactics foiled
• Parents and children talk about smacking (Campbell Live)
• MPs forced to vote against their consciences on smacking bill

Tue 13-Mar-2007
• Anti-smacking bill gets the numbers to pass
• Watch extended footage of the Maori party press conference

Mon 12-Mar-2007
• Maori Party holds the key to anti-smacking bill decision

Fri 02-Mar-2007
• Giving children “time out” may be deemed assault

Thu 22-Feb-2007
• Anti-smacking bill passes second reading

Wed 21-Feb-2007
• Sue Bradford talks about being threatened (Campbell Live)
• Sue Bradford threatened over “anti-smacking” bill

Tue 20-Feb-2007
• Last ditch appeal against anti-smacking bill