Read on Twitter
Wee thread on what I read ... because the tone is quite something. https://twitter.com/henrycooke/status/1387921076945002498
Firstly, thank goodness for the Waitangi Tribunal
. But, so f**ked up that whānau have to go to court to make Crown agencies listen to good policy and practice advice.
. But, so f**ked up that whānau have to go to court to make Crown agencies listen to good policy and practice advice.
The main finding IMHO? To paraphrase the WT – 'it is difficult to overstate the severity of the breaches' and the profound implications. The case for substantial redress is obvious, but its form less so.'
The next interesting finding (ano IMHO)? WT acknowledges that the Crown admits its failure to implement Puao-Te-Ata-Tu impacted inequitably on tamariki Māori and whānau, BUT the policy and practice changes introduced since 2017 are insufficient.
The inequity? Between 2000 and 2018, the incidence of tamariki Māori aged 16 and under in State care rose from one in every 125 Māori children to one in every 64. By 2012, tamariki Māori were five times more likely than their non-Māori counterparts to enter State care.
And, Māori were 54.7 per cent of children in care in June 2013, climbing to 61.2 per cent of children in care in 2017. The proportion of Pākehā children in care over the same period reduced from 33.2 per cent to 26 per cent.
Said differently, there is a deliberate policy of separating tamariki from whānau and keeping them away longer than their non-Māori counterparts.
This is not the care and protection. It is racial profiling of mothers, together with a system that gets disproportionately much better outcomes for non-Māori than tamariki.
As a result, WT recommends establishing a transition authority to oversee tamariki Māori and whānau to make sure they have the same rights as all other kids. And it suggests the Sirs and the Dames continue their leadership role as part of the transition authority.
The report is measured, weighs the evidence, and is strong in tone.
For all those peeps who say this claim was a personal attack and a political hit-job, maybe they will read the report and understand OT's work has been weighed, measured and found wanting. Move on. Let the Māori chart their course. Let good social workers do good work.
*sigh* "Let Māori chart their own course".
Adding one thing in for those interested in housing. WT is starting to lay down its tracks for the housing enquiry.
Add this. WT making it clear that kāinga is more than just a house. It is a place where whānau live, where cultural identity is formed, nurtured, and sustained. That is what tamariki separated from whānau have been deprived of.
From here: linking reporting starting with @thomasmanch https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/124990089/waitangi-tribunal-says-oranga-tamariki-in-breach-of-treaty-government-needs-to-step-back-from-intruding-into-mori-communities
This from @MerianaJ ... Also has a good list of previous reviews of OT/CYF. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/441495/oranga-tamariki-waitangi-tribunal-recommends-maori-authority-to-reform-system
Also, this from @LanningMuru Which has a great Q&A format, and is a really accessible read. https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/30-04-2021/oranga-tamariki-has-breached-treaty-waitangi-tribunal-finds/
A view from Te Pūtahitanga O Waipounamu https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2104/S00237/waitangi-tribunals-landmark-report-on-oranga-tamariki-points-to-whanau-ora-as-a-model.htm
