"My bill will not stop those things happening" - Bradford

Green MP Sue Bradford, who has previously said she could never imagine hitting her five children (now adults), said the bill was about changing the culture in New Zealand. "In many, many cases where children are badly injured or killed, it's in the name of discipline. "My bill will not stop those things happening, but what it's trying to change is the point of view that it's OK to hit your kids." (www.stuff.co.nz)

Bradford's explanation of the legislation she wants to pass is fantastically incoherent. "My bill will not stop these things happening", she says. Well, the question is screaming at me, why even bother repealling it then, Sue? What is the point of "changing the point of view that it's OK to hit your kids", if "the bill will not stop this happening"?

Bradford states: "In many, many cases where children are badly injured or killed, it's in the name of discipline." Obviously, this "discipline" is disgusting, and not real discipline at all. Section59 as it stands will not let cases like this slip through. If Section59 is repealed, the bad parents will continue beating up their children, while the good parents will be criminalised for performing what they believe to be their duty in parenting.

We are not the pro-smacking lobby. We do not believe that a child must be hit to be good. None of us anti-repealists have ever said that "smacking is the only way". We do not enjoy the act of smacking/spanking. What we are, however, is a group of people concerned about the future of the family in New Zealand.

"Sue Bradford never smacked her children, but she yelled at them (Feb22). Smacking can hurt for a minute, but words can hurt for a lifetime" – Ross McKerras The Press, letters to the Editor, Feb24

What do we take from this? Psychological abuse is perfectly fine, but a smack on the hand, or bottom is not ok? Let's just yell at our kids, ok. When they do something wrong, what should we do? Take them to the bathroom and lovingly talking to them, explain what they've done wrong, make sure they understand, and then give them a smack or two, only to the hand or bottom. Or should we just blast them? Lose our temper and yell at them?

It seems pretty straight-forward to me. Leave it up to the parents as to how they will discipline their own children.