Tracey Martin agrees with Maori who blame Oranga Tamariki for the appalling over-representation of Maori in our child abuse statistics.
“Minister for Children Tracey Martin has delivered a blistering verdict on New Zealand’s failure to care for its most vulnerable children, saying “the system has failed”.”
Stuff
She said the system has only failed Maori but instead of taking responsibility for correcting this travesty the minister simply threw up her hands in horror and suggested Maori take over. Wouldn’t you think if the Maori leaders had the motivation and ability to address the problem on their own they would have done something about it by now?
“She [Martin] said New Zealand had failed to create intervention services to “walk alongside” whanau in need, and failed to adequately listen to Maori voices.
“Nothing will change unless Maoridom gets the chance to design it [new systems of state care].”
It is simply not true that New Zealand has failed to listen to Maori voices. They have a voice on the highest platform in the country, they have seven seats in parliament.
Where were those voices on the subject of Maori child abuse, or over-representation in our penal system for that matter? Those ineffectual, racist seats should be removed.
Instead of working with Maori, which Martin admits hadn’t happened, she suggests cutting them loose to design their own separate child welfare system. Maori describe Oranga Tamariki as racist, the minister agrees with them – but then advocates a new, unbelievably racist system!
Martin has no respect for her own office or her government. The buck stops with government, and their credibility is seriously undermined by a minister refusing to work through a tough issue with her department. Martin undermined them too by admitting that they failed but not trusting them, or standing with them to correct the failure. This is appalling behaviour from a minister of the crown.
“The Crown has to find a way to honour its Treaty Obligations. . . the Crown has not got the answers, the answers are in our hands.”
The crown’s obligations under the treaty are clear. Maori signed a contract for equal rights and the protection of the crown. Just over two generations later, their children have not been protected by the crown and their equal rights will disappear with the introduction of a race-based welfare system. Maori signatories to the Treaty of Waitangi would turn in their graves!
Martin is confused about the crown that she represents. On the one hand, she says the crown had not got the answers, but on the other, she says “the answers are in our hands”. Which is it? I hope she means Maori and the crown will provide the answers by working together, but if she does, she should not expect Maori to solve this on their own.
Martin was addressing Rotorua’s Te Papaiouru Marae last week at “a hui organised by Waiariki MP Tamati Coffey about the changes taking place at Oranga Tamariki – and the organisation’s failings”.
Like other ministers in the current government Martin does not understand her responsibility as a minister of the crown, nor does she understand the Treaty of Waitangi. In both regards, Tracey Martin is both a menace and a threat to any hope of a non-racist government.