Whats happening Now

Like it or not, the Anti-smacking bill and the repeal of section 59 of the crimes act happened, and the problems that those in opposition to the new law foresaw (the persecution of good parents) began to arise.
Now because of the Kiwi Party and other opponents of the law have gathered enough signatures, they have now secured approval for a referendum on the new law.
Larry Baldock of the aforementioned Kiwi Party says the anti-smacking bill is criminalizing good parents and that stopping this was there number one priority.
Having looked around for studies and surveys on the anti-smacking law and the publics opinion of it, i have found no unbiased studies. Phrases like "Family First, a group that campaigns for the right to smack, has commissioned a survey that finds 48 per cent of parents of children under 12 have given them a smack in the year since the law was changed" are thrown about with no context or background to what has been said (they fail to mention how many people where surveyed and where etc).
However the fact that over 300,000 signatures have been collected to initiate the referendum is proof enough (for me at least), that the public does not support the new law.
That is basically where we are up to now in terms of whats happening with the law and the referendum.