Listen Now: 
The Waitangi Tribunal is urging the Government to wait for next year’s scheduled review of the Oranga Tamariki Act rather than stripping out section 7AA now.
The tribunal has reported on claims by various parties against the removal of 7AA which requires the child protection agency to apply Treaty of Waitangi principles to its work.
It is highly critical of Minister Karen Chhour, saying the case she presented to cabinet did not justify the repeal.
Minister Chhour argues the repeal, which was part of ACT’s coalition agreement with National, was necessary because the duties placed on the chief executive by 7AA divert Oranga Tamariki’s focus away from ensuring their services are entirely child-centric.
The tribunal rejects this and says there has been no proper consideration of treaty implications.
It says policy change must rely on evidence and not on anecdotal stories, hearsay, and ideological positions.
It should also be informed by community consultation, and in particular consultation with the iwi and Māori organisations that have established strategic agreements with agency as a result of 7AA.
RELATED NEWS
