Posted October 7th, 2009

5 Questions for Northland MP John Carter

Hi John

You have a good reputation up here, but you can imagine that with 90% of Northlanders voting “NO” in the Anti-Smacking Bill referendum and John Key and the Government trying to ignore this overwhelming majority, “showing utter contempt for New Zealanders and the democratic process”[John Key, March 2007] , the electorate is curious what our elected Member of Parliament believes and is planning to do in order to represent us. I have talked to quite a few people about this issue in the last few weeks and have not found one person that supported John Key’s / the Government’s approach – everybody I spoke to wanted Section 59 changed and the Anti-Smacking Bill abolished.

Based on my talks I have compiled a list of questions for you, which I believe your constituents want to have answered by you. In case you can’t be in person at the Public Meeting on Monday 12 October in Dargaville, I would like to ask you to give me your answers to the questions below, so I can read them out at the meeting. Even better would be, if you could make a short video with an address to the meeting and answer these questions for us which we could play on a projector screen.  

Here are the 5 Questions:

•  1. Do you personally believe that good parents should be criminalized for smacking their children for discipline or correction?
• 2. How are you planning to demonstrate to the 90% of Northlanders, who voted  that they do not want to see parents being criminalized for smacking their children, that you are taking us seriously and you are working on  our behalf?
• 3. Are you going to use your influence and make a stand for MPs to be allowed to represent their constituents rather than do what you are told by your leader? If not, why not?
• 4. Do you agree with PM John Key that the law is a “dog’s breakfast”, and if so, are you prepared to support a move to change it in parliament, so that New Zealanders can have certainty and clarity as to what the law is?
• 5. Are you going to support John Boscawen’s Private Members Bill, champion a complete repeal of Section 59 to pre 2007 status or are you going to tell your constituents in Northland that “the law is working” like John Key says?

 John, like many of your Northland constituents, I believe that you are committed to the “democratic process” and that deep down you are as horrified as we are that the vast majority of New Zealanders is currently ignored or fobbed off by John Key and the National Government. Please show courage and represent the will of the people who elected you.

Thank you,
Peter