The referendum begins: should you vote 'yes' or 'no'?

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Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:00a.m.

It's the $9 million question, and throughout New Zealand you'll start receiving it in the mail from tomorrow onwards.

At about $2.50 a head, nearer $4 if you exclude people too young to vote, you should savour the tick you get to make.

The question you're being asked, is: "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?"

Joining Campbell Live tonight is Bob McCoskrie – director of lobby group Family First, and a man campaigning for you to vote 'no'; Anton Blank - from the Maori child advocacy group Te Kahui Mana Ririki, set up in 2007 after a Maori child abuse summit - and a man who wants you to vote 'yes'; Sheryll Savill - who helped collect the signatures for the petition, and is in fact, the instigator of the referendum itself – who clearly wants a 'no' vote; and the chief executive of Barnados New Zealand Murray Edridge - who very much wants you to vote 'yes'.

What do you think?

You can have your say on 3news.co.nz's new Your Opinions section by clicking here.
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Comments

24 Aug 2009 05:37p.m.

JOHn wrote:

Prime Minister John Key should maybe listen to the people who have voted !!!!no ,.............. you just lost mine and my friends vote .no law change !no vote for you

21 Aug 2009 04:58p.m.

froggy wrote:

Prime Minister John Key should maybe listen to the people who have voted !!!!no , as we have the power to vote him off!

15 Aug 2009 10:56a.m.

Cassanova wrote:

Just out of curiosity, how does spanking compare to smacking? Is physical force always wrong? Will we have bedroom police?

04 Aug 2009 04:21p.m.

margaret wrote:

Adults and animals are protected by law but somehow children miss the boat - the most vulnerable members of society.
A parents role is to guide and teach so that children grow up into self regulating, well functioning, contributing members of society. The role model you provide is crucial to the task of parenting. No wonder we have so much violence in our society if the role model is that parents can smack without consequences. A lack of self control and anger on the behalf of a parent plus the violence that results from a smack is an unfit role model for a young child to view and experience.
Vote Yes for better quality parenting.

03 Aug 2009 01:39p.m.

Jenny wrote:

We should use the 9 millions to help our young people who has finished school and cannot get work eg into military training.I do not believe in wasting our time arguing

03 Aug 2009 12:26p.m.

Barbara wrote:

Vote YES - why discriminate against children and have them the only group not protected by laws on assualt. Kids deserve, and need, the respect of being treated fairly and hitting them is not fair. There are many other ways to raise well disciplined and cooperative kids without hitting. I can't believe there are still people out there who think that hitting children gains anything but very short term compliance.

03 Aug 2009 11:20a.m.

Sandra wrote:

Vote NO!!!! A smack is not a criminal offence. I do not want CYFS turning up on my doorstep with a black book in their hands to mark my name forever and a day, because some so called "concerned" person on the street who doesn't know me from a bar of soap, decided to phone them because I happened to smack my child on the bottom because they are picking fruit from a neighbors tree after repeatedly being told not to. By letting my child continue to pick fruit is teaching my child to steal. I want my children to learn while they are little that there are rules and consequences if those rules are not obeyed. A small smack now can save a lot of pain in the future if they disobeyed the law as an adult. Children are children ... not adults ... they need direction to learn right from wrong. Vote "No" a smack is not a criminal offence.

02 Aug 2009 09:34p.m.

Emma wrote:

John says "The trend in less smacking is matched by the trend in more abuse. This should say something." In my opinion, what it does say is that more cases of abuse which were previously swept under the carpet are now being reported. That is a very good thing.
I am a primary school teacher in Manurewa, I see children who are victims of horrific abuse. For their sake I will vote yes, because their right for justice and safety is greater than my "right" to smack.
It is illogical to keep saying that 80 percent of the population think this or that when I am absolutely sure that most people are ill informed of what the law is intended for and how it actually works.
This law has got nothing to do with good parents, just like the banning of corporal punishment in schools had nothing to do with good teachers. This law is to stop a culture of violence in abusive families, just as banning corporal punishment in schools stopped the abusive teachers. If you are a good parent then surely you will have the initiative to learn alternative forms of discipline and realise that your rights are not as important as standing up for the little innocents who are being beaten to a pulp as you read this.
This amendment is designed to help our society make a long term cultural shift in thinking to stop the vicious cycles of abuse and violence in the home. You may say "well those who abuse will not care about the law" Well actually the amendment gives a much better platform for teachers, social workers, police to intervene in cases of serious abuse. For those parents I have certainly seen knuckling their children in the temple, we can now offer them parenting courses where they learn that no form of violence is acceptable, which speaks a very clear, easy to interpret message. That it's not ok to beat your kids, but we will help you learn lots of other effective techniques. I wonder if those who are so upset about the removal of their 'rights' have ever been on one of the fantastic parenting courses available out there, like Toolbox run by Parents Inc, Hot Tips seminars, SKIP programmes etc. There are many professionals out there who will help and support you in better, more positive and enjoyable parenting strategies.

02 Aug 2009 08:28p.m.

Kelly wrote:

I am voting YES! Children should be protected; just as adults and even animals are! Come on New Zealand, stop hitting children and create a more respectful and healthy society.

01 Aug 2009 04:16p.m.

Early childhood trainee wrote:

I would vote if they hadn't taken me off the register without my knowledge!!!!! So annoyed. My vote would have been YES!