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The Labour Party appears to have made a u-turn on the controversial anti-smacking policy.
On TVNZ's Q+A program on Sunday, Opposition leader Phil Goff said smacking in a disciplinary context should not be prosecuted.
This comes as the party looks to re-brand itself after the election loss and the loss of some very experienced old hands.
Goff acknowledges issues like law and order are big for New Zealanders, but says so are what he calls the "little things", such as what light bulbs Kiwis should use and if parents can smack their children.
What Goff told Q+A about the latter signals a major policy shift.
When Paul Holmes asked if a smack, as part of good parental correction, should be a criminal offence in New Zealand, Goff said: "The answer to that is, no, it shouldn't be a criminal offence, or we should not have people following up for a smack in that context."
ONE News wanted to know if that meant Labour would support a revoking of the controversial anti-smacking law.
But when asked what the Labour Party now stands for, Goff said the same values Labours always had.
