Listen Now: 
June 21, 2022
Aotearoa abuse inquiry mirrors Canada commission
Waatea Team
Posted On June 21, 2022
Download AudioA political scientist who worked for Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission looking at the Indian Residential Schools system says it’s important the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State Care don’t get swept under the table.
David MacDonald, who’s a visiting scholar at the University of Auckland, attended last week’s hearing for those abused in foster care.
He says New Zealand doesn’t have the checks and balances of the Canadian system, such as a written constitution, province or an upper house.
That’s why the pressure needs to stay on for a result that benefits the survivors and their families.
“I think it’s also important that this doesn’t get swept under the rug, that the truths that are coming out now become something we all deal with forever rather than when the commission wraps up operations next year, that the report just gathers dust so the report has to be acted on and there have to be oversight bodies to ensure it is implemented,” Dr MacDonald says
While the Canadian inquiry just dealt with the abuse of indigenous people, the New Zealand inquiry has to deal with all survivors.
RELATED NEWS
