I have written previously (6 December 2008) about how I respect the views of Edmund Burke as to how Parliamentarians should act. They are elected for their judgement.
So I am generally against having referendums - our MP's are elected to make decisions as they should be in a better position to make the decisions. They should have opinions and beliefs. That's the theory anyway. Probably the only time I consider a Referendum should be held is when Constitutional matters affecting Parliament itself are being considered, such as when we changed our Electoral System.
So we are to have a Citizens Initiated Non binding Referendum at a cost of $9 million with the idiotic question of -
" Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?"
It seems if you believe that a child can be smacked (ie Yes) you have to vote No, and if you believe a child cannot be hit (ie No) you have to vote Yes. Both the PM and Leader of the Opposition say the question is badly worded and neither intends to vote at all.
When I first read it, and even on the 3rd or fourth reading, I was still confused. The question is a Berk!!
Anyway, my view is that I support the law. So I will be voting - yes.
Probably in a minority; but as I understand it the law is working satisfactorily and I believe, like a lot of things, Parliament has to lead public opinion and not necessarily follow public opinion. Like Burke said - excercise judgement. In the Parliament that approved the law only about 6-7 voted against.
Capital punishment is a matter that a majority of people would probably support, but it has been banished from most democracies, apart from the USA, for years. Then again, with their Electoral College system is the US a democracy?
Over the past 200 or so years I think a person (a person being a male) could hit 5 'things' without legal repercussions - your wife, your servants, your children, in the military and in the prisons. All have been gone for many years, except for children, until the recent change. I seem to remember an article saying that when the House of Commons was passing an Act to stop allowing men to hit their wives, a member of the Lords said "They'll stop me from hitting my horse next"
But it doesn't matter as Parliament is to ignore the Referendum result and the taxpayers lose $9 million.
I don't worry about being in the minority as they are often right - Capital punishment as I said, the Vietnam war; at the start most favoured, Apartheid; and I voted for a four year parliament which was well defeated. Also most Americans - but about 50/50 here from memory - supported the Iraq debacle.
Advertising: Telecom are wasting millions on new adverts. Their new system allows phones to work in Ethiopia but they don't show where they don't work such as, according to a letter writer to the Herald, parts of suburban Auckland. They (ie we the taxpayer) are running ads against driving while drunk. A waste of $$ in my view. The idiots still drink and drive.
Rugby: AB's sneaked a win but still poor. Lions lost but the Boks were much better than the result. Where is the vaunted Northern Hemispere scrummaging. Although the frogs weren't bad.
Music: Looking at my Soundsold music site the other day and I see that Lonnie Lee's Starlight Starbright is now the biggest download.
