Marchers to urge govt to change smacking law

Relevant offers

Politics

Fay aims shot at OIO over Crafar ACC levies may climb again Global economy may hit Budget Fay group would meet Chinese undertakings Trevor Mallard: I'm no ticket scalper Govt says asset sales will cut debt Greens: Crafar approval politically motivated Banks named as new ACT leader China 'will see Crafar ruling as racist' Govt may sell smaller slice of SOEs

New Zealanders are being urged to join a "march for democracy" next month after the result of a referendum on the anti-smacking law was rejected by Prime Minister John Key.

But Auckland businessman Colin Craig's passion for democracy could cost him $500,000.

Mr Craig, 41, is funding next month's "march for democracy' up Queen St after the Government said it would not change Green MP Sue Bradford's controversial law which made it illegal to smack children.

"If we blew all the budgets out, yeah we could spend that ($500,000) but we are not planning on doing that," he said today.

This year in a referendum nearly 88 per cent of the 1.6 million people who voted said no when asked if it should be a crime to smack children "as part of good parenting".

After the referendum Prime Minister John Key said the law would not be changed.

Mr Craig, who ran a successful accountancy practice and now runs a building management business, said he voted no in the referendum but said the march on November 21 was as much about the government's rejection of democracy.

He said funding the march could cost him $500,000 from his personal savings.

"It's about the democracy issue.

"New Zealanders have got common sense and most people realise the law isn't common sense and that's why they voted No

"The democracy issue is what matters to me and that is why I am stumping up the money.

"It is a very bad thing for the vast majority of voters to be ignored by the Government. I don't like where that takes us. It is quite worrying."

Mr Craig said apart from the democracy issue, he believed the law needed changing.

He said his four-year-old daughter occasionally got a flick on her hand with his finger, which was probably enough to make him a criminal under Ms Bradford's law.

Mr Craig said he had never joined or supported a political party and would not say who he voted for in the last general election.

"But I will apologise to those who I convinced to vote for National."

He said he had not spoken to Mr Key or anyone in the National Party.

He said he had hoped Auckland people would turn out en masse and he hoped for "well above 10,000".

The march would leave the foot of Queen St about 2pm head to the Town Hall.

- NZPA