"Parliament has tonight shown utter contempt for the people of New Zealand", said Kiwi Party leader Larry Baldock, "in the debate on the Crimes (Reasonable Parental Control and Correction) Amendment Bill.

"While sitting in the very symbol of our democracy, the House of Representatives, our elected representatives have turned their backs and blocked their ears to the clear voice of the people of New Zealand as expressed in the referendum of 2009 that asked the question, 'Should a smack, as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence'? 87.4% of the 56% of the population who signed the petition said No!

"Tonight 96% of the elected representatives said NO to tht request! No to John Boscawen's sensible amendment to the Anti-smacking Law that would have addressed the problem faced by the majority of good parents all over New Zealand who do not want to break the law when they lovingly correct their children in raising them to have respect for authority and the self control needed to be good citizens of our country.

"John Boscawen and David Garrett are to be commended for their strong speeches in the house. It is regrettable that their leader, Rodney Hide, as leader of the Act Party did not share their convictions sufficiently to make repeal of the Anti-smacking Law a higher priority in his party's negotiations when agreeing to support the new National led Government in 2008.

"Chester Borrows defended his lack of support for the bill that was based upon his SOP to amend Sue Bradford's bill by saying, "We didn't have the numbers". There is no doubt that his National Party colleagues now have the numbers but no longer the courage nor the conviction of conscience to correct their past mistake in supporting a compromise. If he is so afraid of opening the national debate again, then let them call the house to urgency to waste no more time on the debate that has raged in New Zealand for over 5 years. They could have taken care of this tonight. But no, 96% of our MPs said no to real democracy!

"Annette King claimed that no one was asking for this change. Where has she been for the past 5 years? 1.4 million New Zealanders have asked for this bill, 87% of those who voted in the referendum asked for this bill to be passed that would make a light smack no longer a criminal offence.

Su'a Williams Sio said, "If we as parents have to resort to force then we have failed." "What rubbish. Does that mean that because we have a police force we have failed? That we should now ban the use of reasonable force by the police in the hope that our words will make everyone nice and loving?

"Simon Bridges still claims that good parents are not being criminalised. You would think that a former crown prosecutor would know that you become a criminal when you break the law and you become a 'convicted criminal' if you are charged with breaking the law and found guilty.

"The response of the National party is particularly appalling. The Prime Minister has called the Anti-smacking Law a 'dogs breakfast'. He has publically encouraged parents to disobey the law and has done damage to the important convention of the independence of the police from political interference by directly instructing them not to enforce the law as determined by the Parliament.

"Most of the National Caucus of the time assisted me in the process of collecting signatures to ensure the people of New Zealand had an opportunity to be heard on the Anti-smacking Law", said Mr Baldock. "Most electorate MPs saw their electorate cast more no votes in the referendum than they received to become the so-called representative of the very same electorate.

"Tonight while speaking earlier on the Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill, Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell said they would not support the bill because they would not resort to legislation to deal with the problem of street prostitution in Manukau, suggesting that local initiatives would be a better way of dealing with the situation. Laudable principles indeed, yet not the principles they have followed in supporting the Anti-smacking Law. On this they have taken a legislative approach to dealing with the awful child abuse that is over represented amongst Maori families. I recall a personal appeal made by the Maori community leader Sam Chapman to the Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia at a meeting I attended in Waikanae where he said, "Our people need education not legislation."

"Tonight parliament had an opportunity to make a small amendment to the Anti-smacking Law to respect the will of the people, to reform a 'dogs breakfast', and to restore parental authority in the homes of good Kiwi parents who are doing the toughest job in the world, albeit with various degrees of success and failure, namely trying to raise the best kids they can.

"Tonight Parliament failed its core democratic duty. I suggests the title 'House of Representatives' is no longer appropriate", concluded Mr Baldock.