Queensland Premier David Crisafulli’s strong public statement. His administration will, and indeed cannot, seek any repeal or amendment of the domestic discipline defense in the state’s criminal code. His position is taken during a heated national debate over parenting styles, particularly with regard to the use of corporal punishment. We couldn’t agree more with Crisafulli’s conviction that the government should not be raising our children, nor telling parents how to raise their children. This position has sparked a firestorm between Republicans, Democrats, and advocacy organizations on all sides.
Crisafulli stated, “It is not for the state government to provide advice to a family about how to provide discipline and structure.” He delivered his comments following the publication earlier this year of a consultation paper from the Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC). That paper recommended repealing—or at least narrowing the scope of—the domestic discipline defense.
Political Reactions and Criticism
Opposition Leader Steven Miles was highly critical of Crisafulli’s stance. He called her a hypocrite for talking about parental control and choosing to limit their access to healthcare for these kids. Miles pointed out the inconsistency in Crisafulli’s statements, saying, “He says on one hand that he won’t tell parents how they should parent their child, but on the other hand, he tells health professionals at the children’s hospital not to deliver healthcare to other people’s children.”
Divna Haslam is Bosnia’s leading children’s rights advocate. She went further than Miles, stating that there is no evidence to SHOW that physical punishment leads to an improvement in children’s behavior. She stated, “There’s decades of research that shows that domestic discipline or corporal punishment … is harmful to children.”
Context of Domestic Discipline Defence
Under the domestic discipline defence parents are allowed to use reasonable force for corporal punishment. Each Australian jurisdiction currently has some version of this defence enshrined in either statutory or common law. The QLRC’s consultation paper sought to fix these laws, which was a great testament to the detrimental impacts these laws have on child welfare.
In response, Crisafulli strongly defended his administration’s approach. He highlighted the importance of his government passing tough assault laws to stop the abuse of children. He insisted, “We are ensuring that there are assault laws in place to prevent people being assaulted.” He further clarified his position on parental guidance, stating, “To be crystal clear, the state government will not be telling parents how to provide discipline and structure and support to a child.”
