Helen’s big lie

I’ve been in a strategic planning session most of the day so only now got time to blog the pre-election quote that Whale Oil and other blogs have highlighted from Helen:

RT HON. HELEN CLARK (PRIME MINISTER): A lot of people aren’t comfortable with beating but they don’t want to see, you know, a stressed and harassed parent, you know, called in by the police because they smacked a child so…

BOB MCCOSKRIE: So you don’t want to see…

CLARK: … I think there’s a debate to go on.

MCCOSKRIE: Right, so you don’t want to see smacking banned?

CLARK: Absolutely not. Well, I think you’re trying to defy human nature.

Now after the election not only is Helen voting for such a ban, she has enforced a whip on Labour MPs to vote for it, ensuring it will pass even though the majority of MPs in Parliament do not support it.

Helen has of course tried to argue that it will not ban smacking. Of course it will, unless they vote for the Borrows amendment. And if you don’t beleive me here’s Sue Bradford quoted by Newstalk ZB:

Sue Bradford has confirmed parents will not be able to smack their children after her bill is passed.

When questioned again today about the effect it would have on parents, she was asked whether it would be possible to smack children after her bill becomes law – and she said no.

Now Bradford is trying to dig Helen out a hole later on by claiming the bill does not ban smacking, it just doesn’t permit it, and that smacking is not listed as an offence. Jesus Christ give that MP a spin award. This is like arguing that the Crimes Act does not ban shoplifting, it only bans theft.

It is simple. Helen Clark said before the election that she absolutely does not want to see smacking banned. She is forcing through Parliament a law which will have exactly that effect.