KEY POINTS:
National MP Chester Borrows will today make a last-ditch attempt to convince Maori Party MPs to support his amendment to Green MP Sue Bradford's anti-smacking bill.
The Maori Party's four votes are likely to prove crucial when Parliament votes tomorrow on Ms Bradford's bill.
The Maori Party was
believed to be solidly in favour of Ms Bradford's cause.
But on Sunday, co-leader Tariana Turia was quoted as saying she was "wavering" about whether the bill was the way to go - words which shook Ms Bradford and made her supporters step up their lobbying.
Today will be the second time Mr Borrows has spoken to the Maori Party caucus.
The comments from Mrs Turia have re-energised his push for Maori Party MPs to back his amendment, which would allow parents to lightly smack children.
Ms Bradford has said she will withdraw her bill - which outlaws all smacking - if the Borrows amendment is passed.
Mrs Turia's comments have infuriated Labour MP Shane Jones, who yesterday called on her to unequivocally support Ms Bradford's bill.
"It is important to remember that Maori figure disproportionately highly in the violence statistics, both as perpetrators and victims," he said.
"The Bradford bill is a chance to renew our efforts to stamp out family violence."
When the bill had its second reading three weeks ago, Mrs Turia made a passionate speech in Parliament supporting it, and all Maori Party MPs voted for it.
She would not comment last night, but the Herald understands her party is still likely to back Ms Bradford's bill.
Mr Borrows said he was not in any way in favour of smacking, but believed Ms Bradford's bill made potential criminals of parents who lightly smacked their children.
The debate on the bill had been skewed into an argument about whether smacking worked, he said.
"This whole debate is about whether or not parents who smack should be prosecuted. It's not about whether smacking works, or whether you stop a kid from wetting the bed by smacking it, or anything like that," Mr Borrows said.
"I need to focus the debate on what is in the bill. I think you can have firm views about smacking and the value of smacking, or not, and still vote for my amendment."
Labour's 49 MPs will vote against Mr Borrows' amendment, as will the six Green MPs, United Future leader Peter Dunne, Progressives leader Jim Anderton and New Zealand First MPs Doug Woolerton and Brian Donnelly.
Ms Bradford needs the four Maori Party votes to get her over the 61 votes she needs for a majority.
"This bill is about changing the culture of violence against children in this country in the long term," she said.
"His amendment is a licence for parents hitting and smacking. It has got nothing to do with whether parents will be prosecuted or not, it is just defining how they can do it, which is absolutely atrocious."
National MPs will back Mr Borrows' amendment, as it is party policy, but several have said that if the amendment fails they would then probably support Ms Bradford's bill.
Yesterday Ms Bradford said that three weeks ago she was confident her bill would pass, but intense lobbying by her opponents had dented her confidence.
"The vote is very, very close," she said.
Notes for graphic:
The bill: Repeals Section 59 of the Crimes Act, which lets parents use 'reasonable force' to discipline children. Allows parents to use force to stop kids hurting themselves or others but bans smacking to correct behaviour.
The amendment: Allows the use of 'reasonable force', defined as having a 'trifling or transitory' impact, to correct a child.
