Random Impertinent Referendum Questions

As inspired by this comment on this post, and with apologies to Cactus for stealing her title.

There's a referendum coming in August, which Anjum has recently written about. There's a campaign to vote Yes, despite a really rather stupid question, one that is loaded to encourage as many No votes as possible:

Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?

If this is voted down then I expect to see future referenda questions along the following lines in due course:

• Should a smack, as part of good spousal correction, be a criminal offence in New Zealand?
• Should a smack, as part of a positive relationship between friends, be a criminal offence in New Zealand?
• Should a smack, as part of an industry-leading customer relations standard, be a criminal offence in New Zealand?
• Should a smack, as part of a best practice child behaviour policy in education, be a criminal offence in New Zealand?
• Should kicking someone in the back, in the midst of the breakup of a romantic relationship betwen the kicker and the kickee, be a criminal offence in New Zealand?
  

From Dave Moskovitz:

The question being asked is really stupid; if it were rephrased as "Should it be illegal for a manager, as part of good management practice, to hit an employee" we wouldn't be here arguing about it.

Two suggestions from Paul:

"Should it be illegal for an interrogator, as part of good interrogation practice, to hit an interrogatee?"
[and]
"Should it be illegal for a child, as part of growing up, to hit a parent?"

Here's one from Brian Edwards:

This is the equivalent of asking: ‘Should doctors recommend an exclusive diet of McDonalds and KFC as part of a healthy weight loss programme?’ McDonalds and KFC cannot be part of a healthy weight loss programme. And it is open to serious doubt whether smacking can be part of ‘good parental correction’.

Feel free to add yours in comments, or blog about them yourself.

In the face of the inane referendum question that we really have to vote on in August I believe voting Yes sends a message that you reject the presumption that violence of any sort, smacking or otherwise, is a good way to correct children.