New Zealand votes on right to smack children

August 03, 2009 06:27:00 PM

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A referendum is under way in New Zealand on whether it should remain a criminal offence to smack children, with polls showing overwhelming support to again legalise corporal punishment.

The three-week postal ballot, which ends on August 21, seeks to overturn a 2007 change to the Crimes Act which divided the country by making it illegal for parents to use force against children for correction purposes.

New Zealand is one of 24 countries to ban smacking. The government and main opposition parties say the new law is working, and while the referendum is part of the democratic process the result is not binding.

The postal ballot referendum asks: "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?"

A Television One News Colmar Brunton poll, released at the start of the vote, showed 83 percent of New Zealanders believed parents should be allowed to smack children under some circumstances.

The aim of the 2007 law was to curb New Zealand's high rate of child abuse and stop people using "parental discipline" as a defence against assault charges.

Supporters of the law said it gave babies and children the same legal protection against assault as adults, while opponents said it led to "good families" being prosecuted.

Prime Minister John Key maintained Monday that regular police reviews showed the ban on smacking worked, but he said if that changed then the result of the referendum would be considered.

"I've always argued that if the law doesn't work we will change it," he told Radio Newstalk ZB.

"If an overwhelming bulk of New Zealanders vote no (in the referendum) then what that should do, I think, is give parliament the strength of courage to change the law if it starts not working."

The referendum was approved a year ago after opponents of the anti-smacking law received 310,000 signatures on a petition calling for a ballot, well above the required 285,000 or 10 per cent of registered voters.

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