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Sue Bradford's anti-smacking bill is back before parliament on Wednesday and looks likely to make it through to the next stage.
If it does then another reading in a few weeks will see it pass into law and make it illegal for parents to smack their children.
Most politicians doubt parents will be prosecuted for the usual form of discipline, like a smack on the backside.
But under Bradford's bill that would be against the law.
Being a moral issue, MPs are usually allowed to exercise their conscience, but Labour on this occasion will vote as a block and so will the Maori Party.
This gives the bill a clear majority.
A reassurance of support from the Maori Party on Tuesday
virtually guaranteed the bill will be passed.
That means an attempt by National MP Chester Borrows to water down
the bill, does not have the votes and seems destined to fail.
But Borrows still believes the power of persuasion may convince some MPs uncomfortable with the anti-smacking bill, to vote for his amendment. It allows parents to lightly smack their children without fear of being prosecuted.
The former policeman says there are a number of Labour MPs who are conservative in nature, who do not want to vote against his amendment. He says it will be a case of voting with their conscience or kowtowing to the party's whip.
Prominent members of the Pacific community are also calling for MPs to reject the bill.
They are concerned the community's emphasis on suitable discipline, which is not necessarily abuse, will bring unwarranted attention from social workers.
Former Silver Fern Linda Vagana says corrective smacking, like stopping a child from touching something they should not be, is not going to do much damage and that is where the line should be drawn. She says the anti-smacking bill would only put unnecessary pressure on families to parent in a particular way.
Vagana says children need guidelines for how to behave and these should come from parents, not a law that has been passed.
ACT leader Rodney Hide is accusing the Maori Party of letting its people down over the anti-smacking bill, and cannot see the wisdom of its decision.
He says Maori families will suffer the most for having police investigating them for smacking their kids believes they will be targeted. He says that is because they are the ones who tend to be in the lower socio-economic group and tend to be inarticulate.
There is also a note of disapproval from within the legal sector.
Grant Illingworth QC says the proposed law will criminalise conduct which most members of the community would not believe was wrongful.
He says he does not know how any MP could believe how the legislation will work and describes it as an unmitigated piece of nonsense.
However Parentline says it is time for New Zealand to be brave, and hope for a brighter future for children.
Chief executive Maxine Hodgson says we are losing sight of who the bill will cater for.
She says it is about protecting children and no-one should dispute that.
Hodgson says in a year's time, New Zealand will be able to look back in pride at what it has done by passing this bill.
She believes the police will not have any problem enforcing it.
