Senator Plett: Again, as I said to Senator McPhedran, the courts have decided that. They have come out with it. You and I do not need to decide that. The courts have decided it for us.

Senator Plett: First of all, again, Senator McPhedran, I did not set the parameters; the courts did. I didn’t make the law that you can give two slaps; the courts did. You should ask the courts, which is possibly where this is going again. I simply spoke.

Let me give you an example, Senator McPhedran. You say children have no say; I’m going to use an example. My son may disown me for the rest of his life for giving this example, but let me tell you about the first spanking I wanted to give my son. He was maybe four years old, and my wife and I had a disagreement on whether I should do this. He had done something that I thought deserved a spanking. I called him into the bedroom and I had him stand in front of me. There was no anger. I asked him whether he knew what he had done was wrong. Yes, he did. And I said, “You know, son, I’m going to have to give you a spanking for what you did.” He never argued with me. I discussed it with him. He then said, “Okay, dad, but before you do, could I tell you something?” I said, “Certainly you could.” And I was sitting; he was standing. He climbed onto my lap and he put his arms around my neck, and he said, “I just want to tell you, dad, that I love you.” He did not get a spanking that day. So don’t tell me children can’t negotiate their way out of it. They can.