KEY POINTS:
The Maori Party's four MPs will support anti-smacking legislation in its current form, meaning it is almost certain to become law.
The party's announcement today virtually kills an amendment proposed by National MP Chester Borrows that would allow parents to lightly smack their children.
The move comes after Prime Minister Helen Clark said today she feels embarrassed at New Zealand's poor international rankings for safety of children.
As lobbying intensified ahead of the third and final reading of Sue Bradford's smacking bill, Miss Clark said the current law is not helpful.
The amendment is expected to be voted on tomorrow night. The numbers have been finely poised and over the weekend Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said she was reconsidering her support of the bill in its current form.
Ms Bradford has said she would withdraw the bill if Mr Borrows' amendment was successful.
The Maori Party's other co-leader Pita Sharples today announced the party's four MPs would unanimously support the bill in its current form, to send a strong message they did not support violence against children.
Earlier, Miss Clark said: "I frankly feel embarrassed as prime minister when I look at the international rankings for New Zealand way down the bottom in terms of the safety of our children and I look at the violence which is happening against children in our homes and I think we have to do something and this change would be a step in the right direction."
She said the bill was about changing many New Zealanders' attitude to children.
"I think it's really a question about how New Zealand looks after and cares for its children and the truth is the law as it is operated has not been helpful."
The way some people had managed to successfully defend child assaults was not acceptable, she said.
"The problem with the law the way it's been is that those people have been getting off and there's been an appalling run of case law where children who have clearly been quite badly abused have seen parents get away with it and I don't think that's right, " she told reporters.
On Wednesday MPs will vote on an amendment to Green MP Sue Bradford member's bill Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Bill. The amendment proposed by National MP Chester Borrows would allow light smacking.
Both Ms Bradford and Mr Borrows will be busy today arguing their cases.
Mr Borrows was to meet Maori MPs to seek their support. The vote is on MPs personal conscience but all Labour members are voting for the bill and most National MPs are against it. United Future and NZ First are divided. Miss Clark said she did not support Mr Borrows' amendment.
She said advice from the Law Commission was that it would create a situation at least as confusing as the status quo, potentially opening up a lot of litigation.
She said it was also unlikely to achieve better results and ran contrary to New Zealand's obligations under the United Nations.
Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia today said in a pointed reference to the Maori Party, that wavering MPs should take a clear stance on the issue.
"Maori have a high instance of battering women and kids. Some people are slipping and sliding on it, but I'm very clear about it."
He did not think the law would criminalise Maori parents any more than the current law.
The bill was a good means of bringing family violence, which had not decreased, out into the open, he told reporters.
- NZPA
