National leader John Key has been given more credit than Prime Minister Helen Clark for the compromise on the anti-smacking bill by those questioned in the Herald-DigiPoll survey.
But about the same number of people think neither should be given credit.
The poll also shows that while a
majority are not satisfied with the new law, opposition to it is not as overwhelming as was apparent before the compromise was reached.
But concern was strong enough to register for the time as the most important issue facing a small number of voters.
The law change outlaws physical punishment of children.
Mr Key sought and failed to reach a compromise with the bill's sponsor, Green MP Sue Bradford.
But National dropped its opposition after a compromise deal with Helen Clark was done adding an explicit clause into the bill stating that the police had the discretion not to prosecute where the offence was so inconsequential that there was no public interest in prosecuting.
Most commentators described it as a victory for Helen Clark and some believed Mr Key had made an error.
Asked who deserved the most credit, 14.8 per cent believed Helen Clark should get it, 31.2 per cent believed Mr Key should get it and 45.5 per cent believed that neither should get credit.The rest did not know or would not answer.
The poll also summarised the compromise that had been reached between Labour and National and asked if respondents were satisfied with the new law: 44.2 per cent said yes and 52.7 per cent said no.
That contrast with a Herald-DigiPoll survey taken two years ago, in which 71.2 per cent of people agreed with the law as it was, which gave parents a defence of reasonable force.
Similar attitudes were reflected in polls this year before the compromise.
The latest DigiPoll survey suggests that the smacking issue is the most important issue to 2.2 per cent of New Zealanders.
That concern may also have been behind the political party rating of 1.5 per cent for the Destiny New Zealand party which has been vocal in its opposition to the bill.
