July 30, 2019
Infanticide challenge for Māori communities
New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones says the organisers of the Hands Off Our Tamariki hīkoi should not use their campaign to blame the current Minister for Children for what are long standing issues in child protection.
About 300 marchers yesterday delivered an open letter to Greens co-leader Marama Davidson on the steps of parliament, calling for the State to stop removing Māori children from their whānau.
Mr Jones says the system is not perfect, but the Government has only had half a term to try to fix it.
He says the state is not the only actor in the crisis facing tamariki Māori, and Māori need to challenge abuse when they see it in their communities.
"There's always stress and income problems and a host of other challenges that do cause you to lash out from time to time but it is totally unjustifiable to practice infanticide which quite frankly is what we have seen in more recent times, Māori babies completely destroyed and eventually killed and often by our own," Mr Jones says.
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