Families appointee opposes law on smacking

CRAIG SIMCOX/ The Dominion Post

HAND PICKED: Bruce Pilbrow is being promoted to deputy chief families commissioner

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Smacking law opponent Bruce Pilbrow is being promoted to deputy chief families commissioner as the Government continues to shake up the Families Commission.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett confirmed yesterday she intended to promote Mr Pilbrow, whom she hand-picked for the commission this year alongside Christine Rankin.

The appointment of Ms Rankin, who is also an opponent of the child discipline law that the commission officially endorses, caused controversy, but Mr Pilbrow's selection was more low-key.

Mr Pilbrow is chief executive of Parents Inc, a conservative, Christian-based parent-support group set up by Ian and Mary Grant.

Ms Bennett said she had promoted him because he represented a cross-section of parents and had a "different set of skills" from Chief Commissioner Jan Pryor.

"Bruce represents a broad bulk of what day-to-day parents are going through. He concentrates on what matters, instead of working on fringe issues," Ms Bennett said.

The commission was moving in the right direction, but still had some way to go, she said. She wanted the commission to be more focused on parents' needs, rather than ideologically driven.

Mr Pilbrow, who recently called for courts to order "parenting coaches" for some offenders, said he could bring "a certain amount of reality" to the commission and a national focus.

"You can moan about the Families Commission, or you can get stuck in and try and do something about it."

While his organisation had not actively opposed the child discipline law, he believed the law was ambiguous and needed to be changed.

Mr Pilbrow said that he had smacked his children, "but knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn't".

However, there was no point in telling parents what to do, Mr Pilbrow said.

"You can change the law as much as you like, but until you teach a parent how to parent, and alternatives to smacking, then nothing's going to work."

The commission recently appointed league great Ruben Wiki as an "ambassador" against domestic violence. He and Ms Bennett are collecting today for White Ribbon Day, which calls for an end to violence towards women and children.

- © Fairfax NZ News