Damn!

Cunliffe, the minister of immigration and communications, last night told the Herald on Sunday: "My 2-year-old was pulling at a little girl. I pulled his hand away," allegedly smacked him on the hand, "and calmly told him not to do that. If Families First cared about families, they would not be dragging the small children of MPs into a public debate like this."

And why not?? Does being an MP imply the ability to break the law with impunity ... particularly a law of which they have been a proponent in passing in to law... and then to exhibit a flagrant and public disregard for that same law?

That the smack was after the event must mean that it was entirely for 'the purpose of correction.'

Public situations almost always moderate behavioural excess in adults - hence children tend to perform more in these situations, because largely they can and without consequence ... until they get home. For this behaviour to be public could well imply a far greater occurrence in the home or other private situations, that it is characteristic.

"The guidelines released by police on Tuesday say people can smack children to prevent or minimise harm to a child but not to punish or correctit... zero tolerance."

The public nature of this, the observation that it was to correct, should mean the police have to act on the information published, investigate it as if it were a complaint and make notification to CYF. To do otherwise would seem to be a dereliction of duty and discrimination of the worst kind ... a test case??