MEDIA RELEASE
29 April 2008

Politicians Should Respond Now, Not Later, to Smacking Referendum

Family First NZ says that the success of the petition demanding a public referendum on the highly unpopular and extremist anti-smacking law shows that politicians should respond now, not after the election, to the wishes of NZ parents.

“The passing of the anti-smacking law by most of our politicians last year was an act of breathtaking arrogance which ignored the wishes of the very people who elected them to represent them in the making of our laws,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“In passing the law, they were guilty of abusing child abuse laws.”

Today will confirm that the numbers are sufficient for a Referendum to be forced at the upcoming general election, and if there is any shortfall, it will be minimal and the organizers have two months to collect the shortfall.

“10% of NZ voters have taken time to demand a response to their objection to this bad lawmaking, and Family First eagerly awaits the first brave and democratic response from the political parties to correct this ideologically flawed law.”

When United Future’s Peter Dunne presented a 42,000 signature petition last year calling on daylight saving to be extended by 3 weeks, he said “There is no doubt that more daylight saving is what New Zealanders want, and the Internal Affairs Minister is going to be extremely hard-pressed to do anything other than heed our call.”

“The government almost tripped over itself in its rush to amend the law.”

“With almost eight times more signatures on this petition, it is now time to amend the anti-smacking law, to leave good parents alone, and to target the real causes of child abuse and actual child abusers.”

ENDS

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