KEY POINTS:
Helen Clark, Prime Minister
"The bill as it stood without the amendment had this absolutely implicit in it, but for the avoidance of doubt it is better to be absolutely explicit."
John Key, National Party leader
"Once Parliament explicitly banned smacking then you were asking police to essentially ignore the law -- so you were passing something into the law which was bad practice.
"I think we've now got a sense of tolerance where we are saying to police if it's inconsequential we don't expect you to follow up on that. They've got clear guidelines they can follow.
"I think good New Zealand parents can now take a high degree of comfort and confidence that they will not be criminalised for lightly smacking a child.
Sue Bradford, Green MP and the bill's sponsor
"This new amendment, put forward by Peter Dunne and announced by Helen Clark and John Key this morning, gives parents the reassurance so many of them are looking for on the vexed issue of criminalisation.
"I hope the amendment means that some of the scaremongering around the fear that when my bill passes tens of thousands of ordinary parents will suddenly find themselves in court for lightly or occasionally smacking their children will be put to rest.
"This amendment is not like those put up by National's Chester Borrows and John Key - both of these attempted to define the level and nature of force that it would be OK to use on our children."
David Moxon, Anglican Archbishop
"It was important to see the sentiments enunciated by Sue Bradford the whole way through this process were upheld."
He expected an ecumenical prayer vigil being held in Wellington to support the bill would proceed. The vigil had been designed to focus on children, and children still needed love, care and protection the Archbishop said.
Larry Baldock, former United Future MP
"It still criminalises parents who use force for the purposes of correction. All this proposal does is give police the discretion not to prosecute on minor offences.
"It still means a parent is a criminal and breaks the law if they use force to discipline their children, and that's crazy."
Taito Phillip Field, former Labour, now Independent, MP for Mangere
"It's really creating an uncertainty and leaving it to police. I think we are really splitting hairs in the wording I mean it's just a ridiculous situation that's it's developed into.
"People should call a spade a spade and make the law clear so there is no confusion."
- NZPA, NZHERALD STAFF
