For those who doesn't know: This is a vote against repealing the so called "Anti-smacking law" introduced as a bill by a Green MP in 2005 and finally made into law in 2007.

The bill removes from the Crimes Act the statutory defense of "reasonable force" to correct a child, meaning there will be no justification for the use of force for that purpose.

I don't think it is right to hit a child, but most importantly law is not just about that. The law removes a loophole that had allowed those who end up in court for hitting a child to walk claiming they were "just correcting" the child.

Thanks to the media the public largely misunderstands the purpose of the law, possibly me included. My own understanding is that one has to land in court first for the law to apply. In other words it doesn't add or remove any rights from anyone but criminals.