Key Notes No.56 - Rt Hon John Key

24 Comments
28 August 2009
Key Notes No.56

I know many of you are concerned about the Government's response to the smacking referendum, and I'd like to thank those of you who have commented and posted your thoughts on it.

Click here to watch my latest video diary on YouTube

BOOSTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN

Many parents get their children involved in school holiday activities. Things like sports training, lifesaving courses, kapa haka programmes, or karate workshops.

Mums and Dads like these programmes. They give kids something to do and they get a new range of experiences.

Sadly, the young people most likely to miss out on these kinds of opportunities are the ones who might gain the most from them - young people in some of our most deprived communities, where Mum and Dad might not be able to afford the programme fees, or the programmes might not exist.

Instead of going on an activity programme, kids from some of our poorest families can find themselves with very little to do in the school holidays. I want to make sure that more families like these have the chance to get their children involved in meaningful school holiday activities.

That's why, in a speech on Wednesday, I announced our Break-Away Package to boost school holiday opportunities . It includes funding for what will grow to be 30,000 places a year for young people aged 11-17 in holiday programmes. These will be targeted at deprived communities and families under stress.

I also announced more details of our Fresh Start Package for young offenders which sets aside funding for military-style activity camps, and expands Fresh Start to include a range of other initiatives aimed at tackling youth crime.

These announcements build on the Youth Opportunities Package and Kiwisport initiatives announced earlier this month.

Click here to read and comment on my speech.

GIVING PARENTS COMFORT ON CHILD DISCIPLINE

I know many of you are concerned about the Government's response to the smacking referendum, and I'd like to thank those of you who have commented and posted your thoughts on it.

It's clear from the referendum that New Zealanders don't want to see good parents criminalised for a light smack. As such, on Monday, I announced that the Government is taking steps to give parents comfort that this will not happen. These include:

1. Requesting that Police and Ministry of Social Development review Child, Youth & Family and Police policies and procedures to identify any changes that are needed to ensure good parents are treated as Parliament intended.

2. Bringing forward the delivery of the report from the Ministry of Social Development on data and trends and the effect of the law change from the end of the year to late September/early October.

3. Inviting Police to continue to report on the operation of the law for the next three years.

As I've said before, I think the law is working as intended. But I want to assure parents that the National-led Government will continue to monitor the way it is being implemented. If future Police data shows a worrying trend, we will change the law to ensure good New Zealand parents are not criminalised for lightly smacking.

WORKING WITH AUSTRALIA

I had a really successful trip to Australia last week to meet with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and attend the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum.

We took some important steps towards the Single Economic Market, held our first joint Australia-New Zealand Cabinet meeting, and announced changes to border processes for passengers so that travel between New Zealand and Australia will become faster and easier.

Better links across the Tasman can lead to big gains for our exporters and key industries like tourism. I'm looking forward to making further announcements about our relationship with Australia in the future.

FROM THE DIARY

On Monday, I announced that the National-led Government will not support reserved Maori seats on the new Auckland Council. As a result of this decision, Local Government Minister Rodney Hide and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples will work together to recommend to Cabinet the most effective mechanism to enable Maori participation on the new Auckland Council.

I had fun in Mangere yesterday meeting the kids at Kiwicare's new Tennessee Pre-school, before opening a new building at Takapuna Grammar on the North Shore.

I also visited the new NZI Centre, one of New Zealand's greenest buildings, and went on board the Spirit of New Zealand to announce guaranteed funding of the trust of $250,000 a year over the next three years.

I'm in Rotorua today to formally apologise to affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu for Crown breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. This is the latest step towards our target of resolving all Treaty of Waitangi claims by 2014.

Next week the house is in recess. I'll be spending time meeting the locals in Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin, and the Bay of Islands.

Best wishes

John Key
Prime Minister

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#1 - Gill 2009-08-28 17:53 - (Reply)

I have just read your update regarding comfort with child discipline and well quite frankly its just not good enough! All you have done is repeat what you have already said in the last few days, how many times and in how many different ways do you need to be told, WE WANT THE LAW CHANGED! We dont want your assurances that while you are in government it will all be okay - what happens when you are not PM anymore? This is getting rediculous, just admit your were wrong to ignore the wishes of the nation and do the right thing! Fix it!

#1.1 - R Gravatt 2009-09-05 19:38 - (Reply)

Not a week goes by in Rodney where someone isn't commenting on the anti-smacking bill except now John Key and the Nats are getting a bad name not Sue. So many people are so disappointed in the governments lack of concern and lack of listening- I think everyone was expecting change- what a shame- I don't think this will be forgotten and I like John Key but....I think he'll find this decision not to listen to such a huge number of voters a very bad move especially as so many I talk to have voted for him and National but loads and loads of grumbles- sorry John we were hoping for change - a govt for the people.

#2 - Grant 2009-08-28 17:58 - (Reply)

John, I have been a strong supporter of you to date, and expected fair representation from you in parliament, rather than a socialist slanted perspective that takes from the successful to pay the mediocre. However, I am very angry by your lack of action in regard to the referendum. Quite plainly people have said they do not want this law, listen to those that elected you and stand up for new zealanders.

#3 - Peter Lewis 2009-08-28 21:35 - (Reply)

Dear Prime Minister, may I air my disappointment at the stance you have taken to the results of the recent referendum on child disapline. My immediate reaction was your alignment with Mrs Sue Bradford's bill does nothing to enhance your standing in the eyes of a significant portion of the New Zealand electorate. The obvious action is to disannul the entire foolish legislation sponsored by this woman. Peter Lewis Whangarei

#4 - L Osborne 2009-08-29 10:20 - (Reply)

Wayward children are threatening parents that if you touch me I will call the police. How can parents show leadership if they can't discipline their children. A spack is not generally necessary if you can advise the child that they will be smacked if they don't do what they are told. Youth criminal offenses will continue to increase if good perants can't offer discipline. Spiteful people have falsly rung police accusing neighbours of smacking to get them into trouble. Change the law or we will change the government.

#5 - david 2009-08-29 11:06 - (Reply)

You would show greater leadership if you: - admitted Bradford's bill is not working because it is not stopping child abuse - recognised parents don't want the state interfering with their role of raising children - agreed with law experts who say laws that are "at police discretion" are bad laws - support Boscowen's private members bill. As a parent, I get no comfort from mere words. CHANGE THE LAW!

#6 - Les J Hole 2009-08-29 11:27 - (Reply)

Hi John I am surprised in regards to reports again today where you apparently defend 'taking no action on the referendum' because the current law which prohibits 'smacking' as a form of correctional discipline, is working... From research and reports I have seen, your comments are a surprise... Since the 'Bradford' law has been in force, there have been: 1. 950 plus complaints the police and cyfs have investigated... 2. Resulting in 34 prosecutions... 3. And obtaining 13 convictions 4. The same period has seen 11 child deaths... However, the perpetrators are not any of the people involved in 1. 2. or 3. above... Therefore, apart from wasting the time of our overburdened police force, encouraging cyfs to interfere in 950 plus families and penelising 13 responsible parents... How is the 'Bradford law' working??? I am disappointed you are not taking a lead on your governments responsibility to both "represent the people and follow the people's wishes" in regard to this matter and taking a position that continues in allowing the state to meddle in law abiding and responsible parents families... While I agree the economy must have priority remember, you cannot have a functioning economy while encouraging anarchy in our streets... That is what has and is still happening in our country, with the state sponsored devolution of the family together with the cessation of 'corporal' punishment in schools. We are now reaping the effects of policy implemented over the last 20 years... To reverse this trend is a priority and should be your priority, encouraging the development of a country we both can be proud of and want our families to live in... Whether Bradford and her 'anti-family' socialist cronies like to agree or not, the man at 40 is the result of discipline and principals instilled between 0 and 7 years... Nothings changed in this regard for the last 5000 years! Regards Les Les J Hole

#7 - Ken 2009-08-29 14:27 - (Reply)

John, I am not so concerned with how your government interprets the law but rather how a future government may do so or indeed how a future police commissioner might. The law should allow light smacking of children for the purposes of correction.

#8 - John McCarthy 2009-08-29 15:26 - (Reply)

John, I do admire you as a prime minister, you have a compassionate attitude that other politicians don't. But one thing - I would ask you to get National to vote alongside Act to scrap the anti-smacking law. The referendum, which cost lots of our tax money, clearly indicates that the anti-smacking law be scrapped. When the smacking law was first debated, I remember more National MPs were against it, and more Labour MPs were for it. We now have a National government, and we expect that this government would overturn what Sue Bradford and Labour brought it. Also - your loving parents would have spanked you, as well as used time-out and temporary confiscation, as a boy so that you would become a man instead of a hooligan. May I also suggest bringing back the strap and cane in schools, better for a boy to have short sharp harmless pain on the bottom, than for a teacher to be stabbed like Dave Warren had while writing on a whiteboard at Avondale College not long ago.

#9 - Anne Rennie 2009-08-29 16:07 - (Reply)

I agree with previous comments. And to say I am disappointed in your decision would be an understatement. I find it hard to believe the utter stupidity of it. Firstly, nothing is more important than democracy. You have no right to enact or keep a law which you cannot even pretend to have a mandate for from the people to whom you are accountable who have resoundingly voted against it. I will not vote again for a party that does so, especially to inflict damage on New Zealand children and families. Secondly, I understand more than most that physical discipline is not the best way to discipline children - I've taught non-physical discipline and worked extensively in child abuse. A worse evil is no discipline at all, as are broken and damaged relationships between parents and children. Children need firm boundaries to develop healthily mentally, physically and socially. If they are not given them, they will establish inappropriate boundaries of their own - as they are doing in the schools in today's Herald article, increasing at a geometric rate there and throughout society. This law is short-sighted and takes no account of the latent functions inherent in it. A light smack is certainly better than no discipline at all. And no government should legislate a situation where children can threaten their parents for reasonably disciplining their bad behaviour. Children, especially primary school age who have no comprehension of the implications for their relationships, should not be put in the position of policing their parents. It's incredible that schools have been telling children of this age to do so. And it does resemble Nazi youth culture. Parents and grandparents can understandably fall prey to telling threatening children that they neither have to take any more care of them than is statutorily required. Whether they would do so or not, there is no positive purpose served by creating such intrusive and insidious damage to family relationships. If they don’t “report” any parent that smacks, they are being taught to live in homes “outside the law”, abetting criminal behaviour. That’s before it ever gets to such parents being investigated and/or prosecuted. This law defines parenting as no more than inappropriate bullying. I take no comfort from your “guidelines”. I have little faith in police or CYPFS “discretion”, I know they have far worse problems to deal with, and what happens when there’s a personnel change - which there inevitably will be. It is pointless making laws that you peculiarly say are not then going to be policed. As some have pointed out, that’s not legal in itself - the Prime Minister or Parliament decide who is going to be prosecuted under which law? Case by case? Dishonest. Misguided. Misbegotten. Dangerous social engineering. Amend the law - please.

#10 - Fred Webster said:
2009-08-29 17:21 - (Reply)

The Law should be clear, A smack is a slap with a open hand mostly with the fingers on the fleshy part of the leg ,bottom,etc. never on the head or bony parts, and never done in anger, and should not constitute child abuse or assault when done for correction purposes

#11 - June Bennett said:
2009-08-29 18:21 - (Reply)

John, I'm sorry but I do not agree with the fact that your Government has not taken note of the majority of us who are worried that we are producing a generation of undisciplined children because of Bradford's Bill. I for one having had dealings through family with CYPS have no confidence in anything that they do as they are one of the Social Engineering Agencies which cannot be trusted!! If children are not given strong discipline especially before five parents will have little hope of real control as teenagers. I have three small grandsons and like their other grandparents we have no confidence in looking after them and especially when taking them out with the kind of interfering busybodies out there looking to cause trouble. This is where something should be done to give families confidence that if children are out and refuse to behave a smack on the bottom can be given without fear of reprisals! As it is now none of this family have any confidence that Nanny State and Government funded agencies will still not interfere with our family trying to bring up well brought up citizens. It is not fair that because a minority still beat up their children should influence in any way those who don't!! We are all in this family extremely disappointed that the 9 million spent on this referendum was a waste of time. I shudder to think what future generations of behavior problems that this Bradford Bill will produce in the future for this Country June and Bob

#12 - Simon Guillemin 2009-08-29 19:02 - (Reply)

With regards your decision not to do anything following the referendum on the need for a change to the "anti-smacking" law - I am disappointed, John. We too the time to give the referendum careful thought and voted "no". This because we believe that a light smack should not be classed "trivial assault" - a crime, but only a small one. The law makes parents, who smack a child in order to teach it that there are consequences, into criminals. If it is necessary to criminalize the vast majority of parents so as to have decent tool to clobber the ones who don't know the difference between a light smack and a thrashing - then it is not worded correctly and needs to be changed. Waiting to see if the Police will set a lower than intended threshold on the definition of assault - and thereby resulting in a number of good parents being charged with a criminal offense (remember the law already criminalizes them) is fundamentally wrong, in my view. And I suggest there are a large number of New Zealanders who are of a similar view. I encourage you to reconsider your decision to ignore the referendum which returned an 87% "No" vote.

#13 - Greg O'Neill 2009-08-30 08:54 - (Reply)

John, you use the words: But I want to assure parents that the National-led Government will continue to monitor the way it is being implemented. At the next election I am going to be part of a very large group who will vote you out of power regarding the smacking issue. Therefore the government will no longer be led by national and hence there will be no comfort for parents. Is that your official position on the future of this law post the national government? How long do you intend it to work for? You have left many questions unanswered John. Front up.

#14 - Les J Hole 2009-08-31 11:30 - (Reply)

Hi John We have a sign on our gate... "This is a smacking zone - If you don't like it, behave yourself or don't enter!" And believe me John, bad behaviour will always be rewarded at our house or in our company, with a short, sharp and appropriate sanction... I was told by a teacher at 12 years old... "My job is to teach you self discipline, reading, writing and arithmetic!" And he did this very successfully by using the cane when appropriate to reinforce his lesson... Hasn't done me any harm and I have been a contributing, tax paying adult for 45 years in NZ... But what is more important, we have brought our children up by using the same lessons, which are now being used again as grand-kids come along... A positive and contributing result to society I am proud of, that has continued over at least six generations that I know of... Leadership is also standing up and being counted on principal especially in our current 'PC feel good age...' The good news is, your success is in your hands! 87% of the population cannot be wrong! Regards Les

#15 - Anthony Derrick 2009-08-31 12:34 - (Reply)

To John Key I am sure you are sick and tired of the anti smakcing issue at the moment. However I have got another way of looking at the question (not exact wording) should a smack as good parental correction be legal in NZ. As you know that this question can be misleading. This to me can also indicate that as a son/daughter of a parent you can smack your parent as "good parental correction/control" say if they are elderly. Im sure that this is not a good way of looking at things, and I will never do such a thing. But as it stands the question can be looked at from both angles from a childs or parents point of view. Surely this cancels out each other and may instigate more violence. I would just like to see (as with the majority of NZ'ers) the back of domestic violence. Its a sad fact of life. Regards Anthony

#16 - Judy Melbye said:
2009-08-31 16:04 - (Reply)

John,I am still a bit worried about you not changing the smacking law.The reason for this is that I have heard of police and social welfare sorry can't remember what they are called think its SIPscoming in to house and even taking kids away until its proved that nothing but small smack had taken place I smacked my children only occassionly but if someone had reported me for that I would have been so traumatised and so would have my children I am sure. It would be better to monitior families who have given birth and are known druggies. boozers or have commited real violence before the children were born.Other than that I have been very happy with what you have been doing so far and think your latest idea for the holiday help for the children is going to be a great help for less well off families. Regards Judy

#17 - Wendy 2009-09-01 16:27 - (Reply)

I am one of the minority of Kiwis who support the (so-called) 'anti-smacking' amendment that was made to Section 59 of the Crimes Act. I am bewildered as to why we, as a country, can't see the obvious connection between condoning the physical discipline of children, our abysmal child abuse statistics and our also abysmal domestic violence problem. We need to be sending a strong and uncompromising message to all Kiwis that it is wrong to use physical 'discipline' against any person - or animal (with reference to our corresponding dismal record of animal abuse). I feel really sad that we are not yet mature enough to say 'no' to physical discipline and am very grateful that the previous and current government had the courage to do the right thing, even with overwhelming public disapproval. If all the energy that is currently being channelled into lobbying to retain the right to smack our kids was instead directed into positive parenting initiatives, what a healthier and happier country we would be...

#17.1 - Peter 2009-09-11 22:20 - (Reply)

Aha, Wendy, so you and your anti-smacking mates are the only people in New Zealand who know how to raise their children and everybody who disagrees with you is just not "mature enough"? How absolutely arrogant! Why can't we "...see the obvious connection between condoning the physical discipline of children, our abysmal child abuse statistics and our also abysmal domestic violence problem." - Because child abuse and domestic violence have nothing to do with the physical discipline of children, that's why!

#17.1.1 - Wendy 2009-09-13 15:04 - (Reply)

Peter, I did not say those things - you have twisted my words to suit your purpose. Wendy

#17.1.1.1 - Peter 2009-09-14 20:51 - (Reply)

Editor: Deleted, argumentative with another poster.

#18 - Andy Payne 2009-09-04 19:23 - (Reply)

Congratulations to the National Party for supporting a bill which the majority of people DO NOT support. More people voted (87% of approx. 1.5) voted, "no that the smacking should not be considered a criminal offence." This of course was more considerable than the vote to get the National Party into office. I am thrilled that we do not have the "looney" Labour/Green government, but have concerns that National are afraid to stand up for their base. The "anti-smacking" bill is a poor piece of legislation. There should be a clear distinction between a light smack as part of good parenting and smack that is beyond reasonable force. Not teaching kids consequences is poor parenting. Not teaching kids to respect parental authority will lead to kids who are out of control. Take for instance, as light smack on the hand to teach your child not to go near the hot element may save them from being burnt by the element. Ignoring them, or distracting them may encourage the child to keep pursuing what clearly may lead to greater injury. Besides this, we now have a bill, which the majority of NZers do not want. The Prime Minister has said, no one will be prosecuted for applying a light smack. Which goes against the primary purpose of the law, to outlaw smacking. So now, when a young person is pulled over for speeding, he can say, "you can't pull me over, the National Party says laws do not need to be adhered to."

#19 - Parent 2009-09-07 15:11 - (Reply)

Mr Key, you had my vote last election. Thank you for your work as Prime Minister. However, the issue of of the law on smacking as it stands, is a deal-breaking issue for me. If the law goes unchanged (and continues to criminalise parents - as the letter of the law reads), I doubt you will have my vote next time around.

#20 - Marion said:
2009-09-17 11:39 - (Reply)

The referendum has been ignored, the expenses of MPs has been glossed over. The Wanganui debacle; I voted for the National Party and you, in particular, but have been disappointed so far. The behaviour of Politicians, on both sides of the house, at Question Time is appalling and it frightens me that these people are responsible for the laws of this country. The Hon Dr Lockwood Smith with his dignified and professional approach shines amongst such a shocking display. What visitors in the Public Gallery think I can't imagine.

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