Judith Collins MP National Party Families Spokeswoman
17 February 2006
Clark/Greens adrift on wrong side of smacking debate
National Party Families spokeswoman Judith Collins is inviting Labour and the Greens to reconsider their support for a
smacking ban in light of strong public opposition to their proposals.
"Most parents agree that a ban on smacking goes way too far.
"National supports an amendment to Section 59 to better define reasonable force and target violent child abusers. A
complete repeal would only serve to make criminals out of many responsible parents, as confirmed by the Office of the
Police Commissioner.
"Helen Clark and Sue Bradford need to take a deep breath, admit they're trying to push through a law that most parents
disagree with, and reconsider their approach.
"National would be happy to bring its balanced perspective to talks with the Government about a reasonable compromise
that doesn't expose good parents to the threat of prosecution while protecting vulnerable children," says Ms Collins.
ENDS