November 12, 2021
Children’s Commission falls short
Posted On November 12, 2021
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Photo: Radio Waatea Image Database.
The Greens have bucked their Government partner and voted against a bill setting up a new system for oversight of Oranga Tamariki.
Māori Development spokesperson Elizabeth Kerekere says, unlike the current Children’s Commissioner, the new Children and Young People’s Commission won’t have investigatory powers.
It also sets up a new monitoring agency instead of benefiting from the commission’s independence and expertise in that role.
She says that lack of independence should be a red flag to Māori and those with lived experience of abuse in state care.