June 28, 2016
Stress showing in welfare system
Manurewa MP Louisa Wall says the killing of three-year-old Moko Rangitoheriri and the homeless whanau turning up at marae are signs of an under-funded welfare system in crisis.
While not excusing the actions of caregivers Tania Shailer and David Haerewa, who this week were jailed for 17 years for manslaughter, Ms Wall says National pulled funding from lots of parenting programmes and has failed to assist whanau in need.
She says over the past eight years the support systems many whanau rely on have been dismantled.
"At the moment we have a reactive and in-crisis system so you have to get to a particular level of need before the government will intervene. I know the government isn't the solution for everything but the government has the putea that will enable our communities to better awhi and manaaki our whanau," she says.
Louisa Wall says in the Moko case the mother did not have the structure round her to find suitable care when a crisis arose.
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