New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters is about to launch an attack on parents who physically abuse their children.
The political veteran will take to the stand this afternoon, addressing New Zealand First supporters at the party's annual convention in Auckland.
Mr Peters will announce a policy targeting child-abusers in an attempt to steal the media limelight and up his party’s chances of electoral success come November’s election.
The plan involves repealing the so-called anti-smacking legislation because the party says it does not work.
It plans to replace with new laws which deal with child abusers.
Family First New Zealand is welcoming the policy announcement and says the party will benefit in the polls from the announcement.
National director Bob McCoskrie says “independent polls shows a significant voter block” for a political party which commits to amending the anti-smacking law.
Mr McCoskrie used a poll of 1000 people undertaken by the Curia Market Research in March.
He says 32 percent would be more likely to vote for a party that promised to amend the law to allow light correctional smacking. Just over half said it would not affect their vote.
“This election, NZ First could change to a law that is criminalising good parents and doing nothing to solve our unacceptable rates of child abuse,” says Mr McCoskrie.
NZ First has been lagging in the polls, barely making 2 percent recently. It is lower than the five percent party threshold needed.
Mr Peters still has not announced which electorate seat he will stand in.
RadioLIVE and 3 News