Not being a parent, I won’t enter the debate on the merits or lack of a so-called light smack. However, being a linguist, I will enter the debate on the wording of the so-called referendum coming up.
Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?
You would have to be pretty thick not to see that you can drive several truckloads of manure through this loaded wording.
Consider if you will, alternative versions:
Should a smack as part of bad parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?
Somewhat loaded the other way don’t you think?
So at least a more neutral version might have been selected
Should a smack as part of parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?
Well one could go on: but the wording as it stands is simply untenable.
Secondly, the information we have been given from the Elections people does not tell us the alternatives. Is don’t know included? Or is it a yes/no affair?
However, it does appear from the the elections website that it is simply a yes/no affair. A serious flaw.
Well, what we have in the end is $9,000,000 up in smoke.
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