$8.9million of Apathy!

Voters receive information soon about a Citizens-Initiated Referendum (running July 31-August 21) asking: “Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?”
This follows 2008's removal from law of the "reasonable force" defence, for parents or guardians who hit their children. More than 300,000 signatures were collected to attempt a reversal of this decision...and yet PM John Key says, regardless of what the voters say, the Government is unlikely to change the law.
So we'll get a complete re-hash of arguments we heard when the original law was passed. We'll ride the see-saw of differences between smacking and thrashing, abuse and discipline, violence and firmness... and it won't mean a thing!
"I think it's important that governments listen to the public, but the test...is..if I don't think the law is working I will change it," says Our Leader. "To date I have not seen any evidence that it is not working." So John thinks it's fine, to hell with voter opinion...and all this costs $8.9million!
As long as these referenda can't change things, what is the point in having them? Hey! Let's have one asking: “Should Citizens-Initiated Referenda be binding on the Government?” Hmmm, wonder what John would think of that?