Govt won’t support ACT smacking bill

—

By TRACY WATKINS – The Dominion Post

Last updated 16:40 26/08/2009

John Boscawen and Sue Bradford

Prime Minister John Key has ruled out supporting an ACT bill urging the repeal of so-called anti-smacking laws.

The member’s bill, put up by ACT MP John Boscawen, was drawn from the ballot today.

It threatened to revive the divisive smacking debate just days after a referendum resoundingly backed the right of parents to smack.

But Mr Key today scotched any likelihood of the bill passing its first parliamentary vote by declaring National’s opposition.

Labour is also likely to oppose the bill when it comes up for debate in a few weeks.

Comments

René MacDonald

September 4, 2009

I agree with your stance that politicians are perhaps not the best people to dictate to us how we choose to discipline our families, however I do not appreciate fundamentalist christian groups attempting to hijack the political system either, in order to force their bigoted views onto the general public. As a worker in the public health system, having seen first hand the results of children who have been beaten to death by their ‘well meaning’ parents, I do believe someone needs to stand up for the rights of human beings who have no ability, either politically, or physically to stand up for themselves.