referendum results new
21 August 2009, 8:10pm - Preliminary Referendum results released:
87.6% of voters have called for a law change by voting NO in the referendum. This result is significantly higher than the average of the polls below, conducted since polling began in 2005.
Out of a total of 1,622,150 (54% electoral roll), an overwhelming 1,420,959 voted NO in answer to the question, "should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?".
The final result is expected to be released in the afternoon of Tuesday 25 Augst 09.
For further information on the results of the Referendum, please visit the Elections website.
the polls
82.29%
say allow smackingMany polls and surveys have been taken on the subject of smacking in New Zealand. The results consistently tell the same story: The majority of Kiwis disagree that a smack should be seen as a criminal offence in New Zealand.
Click here for outcome of surveys conducted by Curia Market Research in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Polls taken in 2005 |
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| NZ Herald July 2005 | 71% | opposed bill |
| STUFF website March 2005 | 86% | opposed bill |
| STUFF website June 2005 | 82% | opposed bill |
| MARAE DigiPoll (1,000 Maori voters) | 80% | opposed bill |
| Average of 2005 polls | 79.75% | opposed bill |
Polls taken in 2006 |
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| Dominion Post Feb 2006 | 82% | opposed bill |
| STUFF website Feb 2006 | 84% | opposed bill |
| Child Abuse Conference Feb 2006 | 82% | opposed bill |
| Bay of Plenty Times May 2006 | 83% | opposed bill |
| STUFF website July 2006 | 82% | opposed bill (6,700 votes) |
| TVNZ website July 2006 | 88% | opposed bill |
| Average of 2006 polls | 83.5% | opposed bill |
Polls taken in 2007 |
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| TVNZ website Feb 2007 | 87% | opposed bill |
| TVNZ website Feb 2007: "Will a smacking ban stop you from smacking your children?" | 13% 83% 4% |
yes no I don't smack |
| NZ Herald Feb 2007 | 90% | 3874 votes opposed bill |
| TV3 News Poll March 2007 | 83% | opposed bill |
| Stuff Poll 13 March 2007: "Would you like to see Sue Bradford's smacking bill watered down?" | 55.9% 30.3% 13.8% |
yes (2,121 votes) dump the bill (1,148 votes) no (524 votes) |
| Young Labour website poll 13 March 2007: "should section59 be repealed?" | 39.8% 60.2% |
yes (1,182 votes) no (1,789 votes) |
| NZ News - Yahoo.com March 13 2007 | 92% | opposed bill (7,643 votes) |
| TV3 website poll March 14 2007 | 89% | opposed bill |
| Bay of Plenty Times Txt Poll 26 March 2007 | 94.6% | opposed bill |
| Research NZ 26 March 2007 | 73% | opposed bill |
| TVNZ Colmar Brunton 26 March 2007 | 83% | opposed bill |
| TV3 TNS 29 March 2007 | 70% | opposed bill |
| AntiSmackingVote.co.nz poll April 2007 | 70% | opposed bill (43,000 votes) |
| Waikato Times 4 April 2007 | 87% | opposed bill |
| Treasures website April 2007 | 85% | opposed bill (1,972 votes) |
| Gisborne Herald Poll: "Should the bill to ban smacking children be passed?" | 86% 12% |
no yes |
| Average of 2007 polls | 82.3% | opposed bill |
Polls taken in 2008 |
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| Research International | 74% | say parents should be able to smack |
| Family First (survey by Curia) May 2008 | 85% | want law changed to allow light smacking |
| TVNZ June 2008: "Do you think the anti-smacking law should stay?" | 85% | answered no |
| www.littlies.co.nz July 2008: "One year on, do you think the anti-smacking Bill has proved to be effective?" | 7% 7% 87% |
yes unsure no |
| NZ Herald Sept 2008 | 86% | opposed bill |
| Average of 2008 polls | 83.4% | opposed bill |
Polls taken in 2009 |
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| Curia Research March 2009 (see below) | 83% | want law changed to allow light smacking |
| 77% | don’t believe it will affect rate of child abuse | |
| NZ Herald May 2009 | 89% | don’t believe it will affect rate of child abuse (5171 votes) |
| NZ News – Yahoo .com June 2009 (16,274 votes) | 87% | smacking is acceptable form of punishment |
| Are you going to vote in the smacking referendum? - Dominion Post online 18 June 09 | 4% | voting yes to support the current law (95 votes) |
| 76.4% | voting NO to oppose the anti-smacking law (1825 votes) | |
| NZ Herald July 2009 | 85.4% | voting no |
| Waikato Times 1 Aug 09 | 92% | voting no |
| Average of 2009 polls | 82.48% | opposed bill |
Surveys Conducted by Curia Market Research
In 2007, 2008 and 2009, Family First commissioned independent polling company Curia Market Research to canvas a broad selection of New Zealanders on their thoughts about the Anti-Smacking Law. One of the questions asked was:
"Do you think the new law should be changed to state explicitly that parents who give their children a smack that is reasonable and for the purpose of correction are not breaking the law?"
Below are the results for the three questions. As you can see with the above TV and Internet polls, the below statistically reliable polls follow the consistent pattern: 83% of Kiwis are opposed to the Anti-Smacking Law.
2009
| Change Law | All | Female | Male | 18 - 40 | 41 - 60 | 61+ |
| Yes | 82.9% | 82.8% | 83.0% | 79.1% | 83.5% | 85.7% |
| No | 12.8% | 12.3% | 13.4% | 13.7% | 12.9% | 11.8% |
| Don't know | 3.6% | 4.5% | 2.6% | 6.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Refused | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
2008
| Change Law | All | Female | Male | 18 - 44 | 45 - 59 | 60+ |
| Yes | 84.9% | 84.4% | 85.5% | 87.4% | 84.2% | 84.0% |
| No | 11.0% | 11.3% | 10.6% | 9.2% | 11.9% | 11.0% |
| Don't know | 3.5% | 3.9% | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 4.4% |
| Refused | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
2007
| Change Law | All | Female | Male | 18 - 44 | 45 - 59 | 60+ |
| Yes | 82.2% | 82.6% | 81.7% | 80.7% | 79.0% | 88.2% |
| No | 14.7% | 14.1% | 15.3% | 15.4% | 18.2% | 9.0% |
| Don't know | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 3.6% | 2.1% | 2.4% |
| Refused | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |