Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007 - Political Context

Political Context

When the Private Members Bill was first proposed by Sue Bradford in 2005, it was known as the Crimes (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Amendment Bill. It was subsequently renamed to the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Bill at the Select Committee stage. The Bill was later backed by the Labour party and for a time it 'faced a rocky passage through parliament with the main opposition party, National, giving its members a conscience vote on the issue'. A new section, Clause 4, was added as part of a political agreement with the Leader of the Opposition, John Key, and the amendment passed by 113 votes to 8 with both major parties voting for the bill. Gordon Copeland objected so strongly to the passing of the Bill into law that he resigned from the United Future Party. He also strenuously objected that Prime Minister Helen Clark ordered her caucus to vote on an issue that would normally be left to a conscience vote.