Bradford Encourages Parents to Carry On Smacking

In a stunning turnaround, Green MP Sue Bradford has told parents that smacking is not a criminal offence and implied that groups like Barnardos, Plunket, Every Child Counts and politicians who have said that the aim of the law was to ban parents physically punishing their children are misleading the public.

In a media release from the Green party today, Bradford says ‘smacking has never been a criminal offence, and still isn’t.’

Yet only last year, she told Newstalk ZB ‘it is already illegal to smack children but her bill removes a defence of reasonable force for the purpose of correction.’

And in the original 2003 media release from the Green party launching her amendment to section 59, it is entitled “Greens draw up their own anti-smacking bill” http://www.greens.org.nz/node/12844

“Sue Bradford is confused by her own law,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ, “and is misrepresenting the real effect and purpose of the anti-smacking law. She believes smacking is assault, yet more than 80% of NZ’ers continue to disagree.”

“Otherwise, we can only conclude that she is telling parents to carry on smacking and if investigated by police or CYF, parents should tell them that they don’t understand the law and to get lost. Yet parents are getting referred to CYF and the police by schools, neighbours, social workers, even their own kids, for light smacking.”

“If the politicians who designed the law are confused, where does that put parents who are simply trying to raise good kids without breaking the law,” says Mr McCoskrie.

Family First NZ continues to call on the politicians to change the law so that it clearly states that non-abusive smacking is not a crime (as wanted by 86% of NZ’ers according to today’s NZ Herald poll), and to then tackle the real causes of child abuse.

To comment go to: http://christiannews.co.nz/2008/bradford-encourages-parents-to-carry-on-smacking/


Comments

2 responses to “Bradford Encourages Parents to Carry On Smacking”

  1. […] Bradford Encourages Parents to Carry On Smacking […]

  2. Mrs Dianne Woodward Avatar
    Mrs Dianne Woodward

    Bring back the boob. 22nd September 2008 Chief reporter Lee Mathews in the Manawatu Standard Newspaper wrote an editorial – Spin doctors are suckers. Cruel & negative comments calling the fusties in the Family First Political Party unapproving is so wrong, firstly Family First LOBBY GROUP totally encourage on their website that breast is best for bonding and feeding baby La Lache League would be well aware of Family Firsts positive comments regarding Milk-producing bulges that fill every womans Top and its just a shame the reporter doesn’t receive Family firsts newsletter its very informative. AS THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE RULES THE WORLD. Family First lobby group has allowed 87% of parents a chance to hear the truth about why the Green Party’s 2003 OWN labelled antismacking bill is just parent abuse and meantime our beautiful babies sadly are still being bruised and maimed when National Party’s Chester Borrowes provided the perfect solution with his amendment in 2006 but no-one cared to listen as MPs pushed the bill through regardless of 9 in 10 Kiwis wishes. Since my very fiery public pro-smacking disagreement on the front page of the Manawatu Standard with the reformed smacker Reverend Rilma Sands, debating on Campbell Live 2/4/07 alongside Simon Barnett and Christine Rankin I’m fiercely defending Sheryl Savill’s effort to come to Feilding to attend my 2nd protest to explain her referendum – 390,000 signatures is fantastic BUT we must vote this election why is Ms Clark saying no until next year for a postal ballot, its just not right. Family First keep informing us of the persecuted parents presently harrassed over this flawed law, Mums and Dads all over NZ are grateful to family first and I just hope more will write to our local newspapers to defend family first especially when derogatory comments about them are printed by journalists who should know better than pick on Bob McCoskrie who has done a fabulous job in speaking out like Ian Wishart in his monthly Investigate magazine plus men like John Tamahere, Lyndsay Perigo, Paul Taggart, Michael Laws, Bishop Brian Tamaki bold enough to never stop speaking out we so need them, some of us are very media shy now.

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