The minister [Paula Bennett] also said she was increasingly concerned about the placement of abused Maori children with poorly chosen members of their extended family.
She had asked Child, Youth and Family to compare the progress of Maori children placed with whanau and those placed elsewhere to see what worked best.
We have been here before. In 2000, Peter Douglas, then head of general services, Maori strategy, CYF, urged removal of at-risk Maori children beyond the whanau. He obviously harboured the same concerns as Paula Bennett. No doubt, with good reason.
Tariana Turia, then a Labour MP and associate minister, said, “I am totally opposed to children being raised outside whakapapa links.”Douglas countered,
“I saw a really interesting example of how whanau gather and support each other and it was centered around a little girl killed in the Wairarapa, and that whanau gathered and supported and hid from the police….So if we are going to talk about whanau let’s talk about all of them.”
He was talking about the Lillybing case.
But Turia's position was firm;
The Associate Minister of Social Services told a national hui on child abuse in Christchurch on Saturday that at-risk Maori children should never be allowed into "stranger care."
Turia is now, of course, the associate Minister for Social Development in the National government. If she hasn't changed her mind the two ministers are going to be at odds.
6 comments:
I suppose people can see the errors of their ways and come to a new position.
[insert Tui ad here]
"at-risk Maori children should never be allowed into "stranger care.""
How in hell are we ever going to break this cycle of abuse! (further words fail me)
The Aussies did break it fifty or sixty years ago and then got accused of stealing the children.
Adolf, I don't know how many, but probably thousands, of Maori babies were adopted out in 'stranger' adoptions in the post war years. It would be interesting to know (as well as doing what Paula is suggesting) how these people fared.
Maori children should never be allowed into "stranger care."
Which part of "The Maori party demands full self-determination for Maori" don't you understand you whitey muthafucka?
Or if you prefer, from the UN Convention on Genocide (which, unlike the UN Convention on Indigenous Peoples, NZ has actually signed)
Article 3: genocide means any of the following acts..
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Article 3: The following acts shall be punishable:
(c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;
That means you.
And you wonder why the Maori love Hone??
Mana Motuhake! Whakapo Tino Nga Pakeha!
Anon, The forcible transfer of children is only ever acceptable if their health, well-being and very lives are seriously under threat. Two of 'your people' have called for the safety of Maori children to be given a higher priority than whakapapa links. More power to them.
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