Pro-smackers force referendum

Opponents of last year's legislation on corporal punishment have forced a referendum, which is likely to be held by postal ballot in mid-2009.

The Government has ruled out holding the referendum in tandem with the general election, which is due by November 15, despite the urging of petition organisers.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Helen Clark gave her strongest hint the election date will be late - it is widely tipped for November 8 - saying there was a lot of legislation to pass, including the controversial emissions trading law.

Clerk of the House Mary Harris said an audit of the petition for a smacking referendum, which would ask, "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?", found that about 310,000 of the 390,000 signatures were valid.

To trigger the non-binding referendum, 10 per cent of registered voters - about 285,000 - were needed to sign the petition. Petition organiser Larry Baldock called for the vote to be held in conjunction with the election. But Justice Minister Annette King said officials' advice had been in favour of a postal referendum, which would take till the middle of next year to organise properly.

Referendums held at the 1999 election had caused confusion and congestion in polling places, and had delayed preliminary results.

Mr Baldock, who leads the Kiwi Party, said Miss Clark was trying to avoid the smacking laws becoming an election issue.

Government strategists are keen to pass a series of important and symbolic bills before the House rises. They include laws rewriting the Police Act and reforming the real estate sector, the Walking Access Bill, a public transport management bill and several commerce and business-related laws.

Unless it rises sooner, this Parliament expires on October 6, leaving at most five more sitting weeks.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the Pacific Islands Forum in Niue, Miss Clark said there was limited time to spare if the emissions trading scheme was to pass before the election, though next week was not "crunch time".

The Greens and NZ First will decide on Tuesday whether they will approve a compromise package hammered out with Government. It needs both parties' support to pass the bill.

Miss Clark said the Government had "a big order paper" of laws to deal with. "It's important for the ongoing programme of government and law reform ... that you don't have some mad helter-skelter period just before an election where you try to clear the order paper."

National Party finance spokesman Bill English said the emissions trading scheme was too important to be rushed through.

"This is more about politics and the upcoming election than it is about writing good, fair, lasting law." If the bill was passed, National would amend it within nine months.