2009 New Zealand child discipline referendum

2009 New Zealand child discipline referendum
31 July – 21 August 2009 (2009-07-31 – 2009-08-21)

"Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?"

Results
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 201,541 12.05%
No 1,470,755 87.95%
Valid votes 1,672,296 99.28%
Invalid or blank votes 12,106 0.72%
Total votes 1,684,402 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 3,002,968 56.09%
Results by electorate
Source: The Chief Electoral Officer[1]

The 2009 New Zealand Referendum on Child Discipline was held from 31 July to 21 August, and was a citizens-initiated referendum on parental corporal punishment. It asked:[2]

Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?

Voter turnout was 56.1%. 87.4% of votes answered 'no'. The result of the referendum was non-binding and the New Zealand government did not change the law in response to the outcome.

  1. ^ Pede, Robert (25 August 2008). "Citizens Initiated Referendum 2009 – Final Result" (Website). Ministry of Justice. The Chief Electoral Officer. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  2. ^ 2009 Citizens Initiated Referendum[permanent dead link], Elections New Zealand.