When you consider all the actions and communications regarding the smacking issue, the conclusion must be that from the outset the democratic process has taken a very heavy smack.
As we consider our referendum papers, the government is telling us, “don’t bother, we aren’t changing anything”. (Ostensibly this is because of the referendum’s poor wording.)
Many senior politicians, including the Prime Minister, are leading by example and telling us they are not even going to register a vote. Perhaps those following suit and binning their referendum papers can’t be blamed.
But wait…
Our politicians have been totally reticent about allowing voters to have a say on this important issue from the very beginning.
Ignoring the polls and believing it was too important an issue to give ordinary New Zealanders a say on, Green MP Sue Bradford introduced her anti-smacking bill and a majority of politicians had their own way with this legislation.
Now that we eventually do have a say, these same politicians are again telling us: don’t waste your time.
Perhaps this is the very reason we should vote in the referendum.
Regrettably most of us don’t understand the legislation and its technicalities, and at the same time we are being told that it is not being strictly applied. Surely the messages would never have been this mixed if politicians had trusted the electorate on this issue in the first place.