World Scene: New Zealand

Child smacking ban

New Zealand's prime minister said yesterday that his governing party will thwart attempts to overturn a law that bans hitting kids.

The law, which Parliament passed overwhelmingly in 2007, stops parents from using force to discipline their children but gives police the discretion not to prosecute minor incidents. Opponents claim the law is intrusive and could turn thousands of good parents into criminals, though no prosecutions have succeeded under the new law.

Prime Minister John Key said his National Party will vote against a bill proposed by rightist Act Party lawmaker John Boscawen to overturn the current law.

Boscawen said the bill would make it legal for parents to lightly hit their children for "the purpose of correction", and "makes it absolutely certain that it wouldn't be a criminal offense".

"We're not interested in promoting violence" against children, but hitting that is "trifling and transitory" will not be illegal, he said.

Last week, 87.6 percent of voters in a national referendum - which is not binding on the government - called for the law to be overturned.

(China Daily 08/27/2009 page10)