Parents have a right to raise their children as they wish
Myth: Parents have a right to raise their children as they wish - the "nanny state" is interfering again
Many people in New Zealand are enraged that politicians might make laws that tell them how to bring up their children. It is the state's responsibility to ensure that its laws serve all its citizens well, reflect current knowledge and research and do not discriminate against any sector.
Where children are concerned, the State intervenes in many situations where the best interests of children are served by law - compulsory school attendance, seat-belt wearing, bicycle helmet requirement etc.
How can we justify retaining a law that is not congruent with what research tells us is best for children, which sometimes serves children poorly in court, and which is not congruent with other laws to protect children and reduce violence? Furthermore the law currently does not meet our international treaty obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.