Does telling police not to prosecute parents go far enough? > Send us your views > Read your views > Audrey Young: Politicians flabbergast us all on smacking bill > The smacking bill compromise in quotes > What the current law, proposed bill and amendments say > Church leaders turn up heat on smacking bill
John Key and Helen Clark arrive for their unprecedented joint press conference today. Photo / Mark Mitchell

John Key and Helen Clark arrive for their unprecedented joint press conference today. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Police Association has welcomed today's compromise on the bill changing the law around smacking.

Prime Minister Helen Clark and National leader John Key this morning announced they had agreed to an amendment to Green MP Sue Bradford's Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Bill.

The agreement means the bill is now almost certain to be passed in two weeks' time.

The bill removes a defence of reasonable force and opponents said it would criminalise parents who smacked their children.

Today's amendment would make it clear police had the discretion not to prosecute complaints against a parent where the offence was considered "so inconsequential" there was no public interest in it going ahead.

Police Association President Greg O'Connor said the new clause upheld police discretion.

"Parliament is to be congratulated on coming to this sensible position," he said.

Previously the Police Association expressed concern that police would have to prosecute even minor offences under the law -- some supporters of the bill said that was incorrect.

Helen Clark said she believed the public would swing behind the anti-smacking bill following the compromise.

She said the common ground established was a result of Parliament's "senior players" getting involved towards the end of the debate.

She felt the compromise would be supported by the majority of New Zealanders.

However, some polls have suggested up to 80 per cent of the public oppose the bill and a poll currently running on nzherald.co.nz suggests today's compromise will not be enough to persuade the majority - 59 per cent of those who voted saying the change did not make it a good law.

There were reports that many of an estimated crowd of more than 2,000 mainly fundamentalist Christians who opposed the original bill and converged on Parliament this afternoon seemed unaware of the last-minute amendment.

But Destiny Church leader Bishop Brian Tamaki said the move was a huge backdown by the Labour Government.

Deal

At an extraordinary press conference this morning, the Prime Minister set out how the deal was reached and said there was now cross-party support.