From the ACT party website
ACT New Zealand MP John Boscawen today announced that he will introduce a Private Member's Bill to amend the controversial Anti-Smacking law inflicted on New Zealanders by Labour and the Greens in 2007.
"My announcement coincides with yesterday's release of a poll that shows widespread support for the law to be altered," Mr Boscawen said.
"This poll, commissioned by Family First NZ and conducted by Curia Market Research, surveyed the views of 1,000 everyday New Zealanders - 83 percent of whom felt the law should be changed, with a total 77 percent of respondents believing the law would not help reduce our child abuse rates.
"While addressing the concerns of those who felt that the original section 59 of the Crimes Act was too vague, my amendment to the law will protect from criminalisation those parents who use a light smack for the purpose of correction.
"The amendment will change the Act so that: it is no longer a crime for parents or guardians to use reasonable force to correct children; there are clear statutory limits on what constitutes reasonable force; parents and guardians have certainty about what the law permits; it is no longer reliant on police discretion for the law to be practical and workable.
"In an attempt to curb child abuse, this law has simply criminalised law-abiding parents and removed their freedom to decide how best to raise their children - something that ACT has consistently opposed.
"The Labour we know best' Government is out and National is now in. Perhaps we will now begin to see an end to the madness of the past nine years - where politicians saw fit to tell New Zealanders how to live their lives," Mr Boscawen said.
ENDS
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This is great news! My full support to John Boscawen in his efforts.
3 comments:
Full support?
You mean ACT membership?
I have to admit, i'm heading that way as National have been a little disappointing compared to ACT.
I think you can see the point I am making.
I am giving John Boscawen my full support in his efforts to change this law.
The following is my comment on the ACT web site. As I conclude ACT is the only party opposed to this ideologically driven anti-family law that has any chance of getting it changed.
http://www.act.org.nz/news/amendment-to ... acking-law
The issue for me is wider than just the law on smacking. It is about whether the State or parents should have the major say about how children are brought up. I do not think it realistic to bring up children that they should not have sex until they are married. However, some parents do and they should not have what they teach their children about sex undermined at school.
Below is a link to what is being purposed in the UK under a Labour government.
“Parents should NOT tell their children what is ‘right or wrong’ about having sex, say ministers”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... sters.html
I hate to think what would have happened here if Labour got another term. I have heard some of what goes on in schools here but it sounds a lot worse in the UK.
Schools should not let children know if they chose to have sex under the legal age the school will supply contraceptives and abortions if desired.
Some might consider I am slightly off topic but the issue is parental rights.
The test whether the new law is working must be wider than how many parents have been prosecuted for smacking their child. For a start there is no way of knowing. If a parent was reported for smacking their child in a supermarket they would be charged with assault or assault on a child. They may choose to plead guilty to avoid publicity.
Some of the effects of the new law are:
Parents receiving a warning from police either official or unofficial often with the child’s knowledge.
Children blackmailing parents. Parents giving in which gives children power they should not have. Alternatively, parents tell the children that if they complain to authorities they will likely be removed and have to live with another family. This will cause insecurity for the child.
CYFS will investigate allegations. Questioning of children will undermine the authority of parents. Even if parents are not charged they will have a permanent black mark on their record with CYFS and the police.
There will be false or greatly exaggerated complaints in cases of separation.
Let us hope that this move by Mr Boscawen will motivate people to cast their postal ballot. If his bill is not drawn ACT will be the only party opposed to this ideologically driven anti-family law that has any chance of getting it changed.
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