Family First NZ is welcoming the Australian response to pressure by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child to ban smacking in Australia.

"Australian politicians have done what NZ politicians have failed to do - they've listened to families and they've taken a common sense approach rather than a flawed ideological approach under pressure from the UN," says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

The UN Committee chastised Australia for refusing to outlaw smacking, but the NSW Attorney General said that the current laws were in line with community expectations and that 'excessive force' would never be regarded as reasonable - 'in line with community standards on the discipline of children'.

"This is a welcome approach for families and it is a great shame that our politicians did not exert the same common sense approach as our Australian neighbours are doing," says Mr McCoskrie.

"The massive pressure on countries from the United Nations on this matter is ideologically driven and flawed, but the Australian response is family-friendly and appropriate."

"NZ'ers are right to be concerned that our Prime Minister is willing to retain a law which he admits is a 'dog's breakfast', badly drafted, and extremely vague," says Mr McCoskrie.

"A law that requires so many compromises, guidelines, helplines, reviews, and parent education could be easily fixed with a simple amendment - the Boscawen amendment. That's what parents deserve."