A public petition is a great way for a profile political party to garner support from the public and build it’s image. If the issue is topical enough they will get media coverage throughout the process of gaining the 285,000 or so signatures to force a public referendum. However to do it properly they need to own it, the party needs to be visible. The Kiwi party has not done this with its endorsement of an anti anti smacking bill petition.
Today the petition has supposedly reached 325,000 signature. It puts forth the question:
“Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?”
This question is open and does not really address the point of Sue Bradford’s legislation, which was to stop parents being able to abuse their children and hide behind a defence of discipline. Perhaps a better question, for the purpose of the petition would have been:
“Should some parents be able to abuse their children and get away with it due to an outdated law?”
Perhaps a fairer question however could have been:
“Should there be better education for parents about how to use non violent means of discipline on their children.”
It is illegal for a boss to discipline their employee with physical force, if I see an tagger it is illegal for me to smack him on the botty, if my father was to attempt to discipline me now with physical force I would be able to press charges. Section 59 used to institutionalise violence against children. It made it ok and gave parents a defence to hide behind if they got carried away.
What we needs to happen is the Government needs to work with the Greens to put more information out there and have more education about the amendment. The media has portrayed the repeal as an infringement on individual rights, it is not. It is about treating everyone within our society with respect.
This petition is playing on the lack of information that most people have about the anti smacking bill. It purposefully uses a loaded question to illicit a response. We are supposedly an informed and enlightened country. Lets start acting like it.
This petition has done nothing except reinforce the notion that smacking your children is the best way to discipline your children. Obviously not many people watch Super Nanny. Larry Baldock, leader of the Kiwi Party, is bringing evangelical Christianity into NZ politics.
Make your own mind up about the subject. Read the legislation. Read Bradford’s speeches and statements about the law, do not just jump on the bandwagon blindly.